Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The Gift Of Giving

SHAAALOOOM SWWWEEETEST FRIENDS!!! 



EXCIIIITING DAYS COMING UP!!! 8-9 day of pure, unadulterated simcha. 


The pasuk [Devarim 16/14] says about Succos:


וְשָׂמַחְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם.



You should rejoice before Hashem you, your son and daughter, servant and maidservant and the Levi that is in your gate, the convert, the orphan and widow that is among you in the place that Hashem chooses to dwell His name there.


The Medrash says "You have 4 members of your household, son, daughter, servant, maidservant and I have 4 members of my household, the Levi, convert, orphan and widow. You make yours and mine happy and I will make yours and mine happy". 


Asked the Imrei Emes of Ger - There are FIVE members of person household. Besides the people mentioned there is also HIMSELF [and his wife is, I would surmise, אשתו כגופו] while there are only FOUR members of Hashem's household, so the Medrash doesn't seem accurate?


He answers that if one gives to Hashem's poor then Hashem joins together with them and it is as if He has received as well. 


This is borne out by the pasuk [16/17]: First it says איש כמתנת ידו - A man with the gift of his hand [third person] and then it says כברכת ה' אלקיך - like the gift of Hashem YOUR G-d. After one gives Hashem has joined together with the person [so to speak] in order to receive.


An amazing idea. Who is in Hashem's household? The rich and famous? The prominent? No and no. The needy and unfortunate!! 


Ahhhh - sweet friends!!! May we always merit to be among the givers, to be משמח Hashem and "His people", those unfortunate ones. With simcha and ahava!!!