Money - Part 3: The Poor Person Is Your Friend

A thought I had [on Bar-Ilan street tonight upon my return from the weekly chumash shiur of the Rebbe Shlita]. When people are asked for donations they often become defensive and at times even insulting. They will give the asker a speech about what is wrong with them, or how terrible charedim are, or how he should get a job and stop being a freeloader etc. etc.  Whhyyyyy??

The answer I believe is that people sometimes feel attacked when they are approached for a donation. They can't win. If they don't give, they feel guilty. If they do give, then they are giving, to a certain extent, against their will and to avoid the discomfort of not giving. The proof is that if they would receive a request for the same cause in the mail they would completely ignore it.

The answer is a Chasam Sofer. The pasuk says ונתן לך רחמים וריחמך. Explains the Chasam Sofer: Sometimes a person needs to have mercy from Hashem and needs a special zchus to be worthy of the Divine mercy. So Hashem sends him an עני and by giving the עני he becomes worthy of Divine mercy. So the 10 dollars he gave could prevent a car accident or a case of Mono. ונתן לך רחמים - Hashem gives you an opportunity to have mercy, וריחמך - He will then have mercy on you.

The rich person needs the poor person more than the opposite.

לע"נ ר' מרדכי גימפל בן ר' אברהם משה