Parashat Re’ei- Give and Take
Moshe Rabbenu tells Benei Yisrael in Parashat Re'ei, "Aser Te'aser," which literally means, "You shall tithe" (14:22), referring to the obligation to separate one-tenth of one's agricultural produce and bring it to Jerusalem. Additionally, however, the Sages (Masechet Ta'anit 9a) understood these words to mean, "Aser Bishvil She'tit'asher" – "Tithe so that you will become wealthy." The Torah here promises that if a person makes a habit of "tithing" his income, giving ten percent of what he earns to charity, then he will become wealthy. Rather than causing financial loss, donating money to charity actually guarantees greater wealth and prosperity.
Earlier, in the Book of Shemot (30:12), the Torah says in reference to the mandatory half-shekel donation to the Mishkan, "Ve'natenu" – "They shall give." This word is a palindrome; it reads the same backwards and forwards. From the perspective of the Torah, giving is a two-way street; a person who gives also receives. Donating money to charitable causes is the most secure and worthwhile investment a person could ever make; this money is guaranteed to earn enormous dividends and profits.
The Sages teach that although generally it is forbidden to "test" God, to challenge Him to see if He will reward us for our Mitzvot, this is not the case with regard to charity. The Torah guarantees that charitable contributions will earn greater wealth and fortune, and even allows a person to challenge the Almighty to prove this remarkable power of Tzedaka (charity).
The story is told of a wealthy man who lived in the city of Cracow where was known as "Shimon the Miser." Despite being very wealthy, he refused to share it with the many needy residents of the city. The community naturally resented his miserliness and refused to associate with him. In fact, after his death the Hevra Kadisha (burial society) decided to bury him at the outskirts of the cemetery, far away from all the other graves.
In contrast to Shimon the Miser, the city's butcher and baker had earned a reputation of unmatched generosity, and each week before Shabbat they would distribute large sums of money to the city's needy residents. However, after the miser's death, when the poor residents approached the butcher and baker to request charity, they were told that there was no money to give. They explained that each week Shimon the Miser would bring them money and instruct them to distribute the funds to the poor, but on condition that they would not divulge the money's source. Shimon the Miser was actually the most generous, charitable man in Cracow, but he insisted on anonymity as he did want any recognition. Before Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller, the famous Rabbi of Cracow, passed away, he requested to be buried alongside Shimon the Miser. Indeed, visitors to the Cracow cemetery even today will behold the unusual sight of two graves situated at the very edge of the graveyard, one belonging to the renowned sage, and the other to Shimon the Miser.
Shimon understood the immense reward earned through charitable donations, and therefore felt no need for fame and recognition. He realized that when he gave, he was really taking, and earning far more than he possibly could have earned otherwise.
