In Parshas Mishpatim, we learn “Im kesef talveh es ami” – When you lend money to My people, to the poor person who is with you, do not act toward him as a creditor/lender; you shall not impose interest upon him. There is a positive commandment in the Torah to lend money to anyone who needs it. Our Sages teach us that the mitzvah to lend money is even greater than the mitzvah to give tz’dakah, because a person is much less embarrassed to receive a loan than to receive tz’dakah. The Torah prohibits a Jew from imposing interest on the borrower, because when people help each other, they are uniting through their act of kindness. However, when a person takes interest, he acts in the opposite manner, taking advantage of his fellow Jew’s misfortune in order to enrich himself.
Although we live in a time where many Jews struggle financially, the Jewish people have always risen to their appellation of being merciful people and baalei chesed. Our Sages teach us that Hashem created poverty because He wants people to learn how to give and be kind. The world was created for the purpose of chesed.
Without a Beis HaMikdash, we are limited in the ways that we can serve Hashem; however, there is no change from the way we are able to relate to our fellow man. In T’hilim, David HaMelech declared: “The kindnesses of Hashem I shall sing forever (chasdei Hashem olam ashirah); to generation after generation I shall make known Your faithfulness, with my mouth. For I said, ‘Forever will it be built with kindness (olam chesed yibaneh); as the heavens, with which You will establish Your faithfulness.’”
Chazal teach us that chesed was in existence before the Torah and that the act of Creation was in itself Hashem’s ultimate act of kindness. The B’eir Mayim Chayim explains that the authentic sign of g’milus chasadim (lovingkindness) is that one runs after the unfortunate and dispirited [to help them].
Giving tz’dakah is a mitzvah of great importance and carries consequences when a person is thoughtless. The Midrash explains that when a poor person asks for help, Hashem stands to his right side “Ki yaamod liymin evyon.” If one does not do chesed with the beggar, he should beware: “Ashrei maskil el dal b’yom ra’ah y’malteihu Hashem – Praiseworthy is he who takes the needy into account, on the day of evil Hashem will deliver him (41:2)” Tz’dakah protects. Tz’dakah engenders material success. Tz’dakah saves.
With Hashem’s help, may we pursue lives that represent the highest level of true g’milus chasadim! Amen!
List of People Who Need a r’fuah sh’leimah (a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Mordechai ben Masha Yehudis
Ohad ben Esther
Nisan ben Shoshanah
Eitan Avraham ben Efrat
Alon ben Idit
Yosef Chaim ben Chanah Devorah
Heleni Orna bas Chen Chanah
Gilana Chavivah bas Sophie Sarah
Esther Hadassah bas Devorah
Mitali Naomi bas Gilah Farcha
Chanah bas Miriam Perel
Sarka bas Sarah
Tziporah bas Fibi
Malkah Neshamah bas Avivah Dinah
Israeli Soldiers (Please recite Psalms 25, 26, 46, 83, 142.)
Yehoshua ben Aliza Esther
Menachem ben Aliza Esther
Gavriel Efraim ben Chanah Yafah
Netanel Akiva ben Chanah Yafah
Yonatan Ezra ben Chanah Yafah
Chaim Aba Menachem ben Naomi Beila
Daniel Moshe ben Devorah
Chaim Mordechai ben Sarah Ita
Gavriel Yehudah ben Yaakov
Shmuel ben Aharon
Moshe ben Shoshanah Esther
Yehoshua ben Tzvi
Dvir Moshe ben Dinah
Oriel ben Dinah
Dor ben Zehavah
Daniel ben Rachel
Shalev David ben Revital Renanah
Daniel ben Orli
Tal ben Ilana Ilanit
Mordechai Daniel ben Leah Rachel
Yotam ben Efrat Michal
Michael ben Naomi Sarah
Moshe Eliyahu ben Dinah Yehudis
Yosef ben Shlomis
Yosef ben Sarit
Yosef Daniel ben Anat
Yosef Chaim ben Hadassah
Ron ben Ahuvah
Yosef Yechiel Ben-Tzion ben Rivkah Beila
Binyamin Yehudah ben Leah
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
