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Loving Kindness
23 Nissan, 5765 / May 2, 2005

Day 23 - False Security
SEFER AHAVAS CHESED — Part II Chapter VII

One of the classic philosophical questions, pondered by the simplest and most sophisticated minds alike, is this: Why do unkind people seem to amass so much of the world’s riches? Why do so many of them lead apparently untroubled, satisfying lives? The Talmud (Temurah 16a) bursts the illusion that one can prosper by withholding chesed. “When a poor person goes to the head of an established household for help, if the man helps him, he had done what he should.” However, if he doesn’t help him, Hashem Who made one poor and the other rich may reverse their stations. This conclusion is based on the verse in Mishlei (22:2), “The rich man and the poor man meet; Hashem is the Maker of them all.”

In the Talmud’s scenario, there is a poor man, desperate to meet his barest requirements. There is a rich man, settled, satisfied and comfortable. The two come together, and what transpires has an inevitable impact on both of their futures. If the wealthy man takes care of the poor man to the best of his ability, fulfillinghis responsibility with care and kindness, his status rises. He has kept Hashem’s trust, and therefore, Hashem will allow his wealth to remain with him. If, on the other hand, he turns his back on the poor man, he will at some point discover that the roles of rich and poor are temporary and easily reversed. It may not happen immediately — the rich man may even have decades of good fortune ahead of him. In the end, however, his seemingly substantial fortune can dissipate like smoke into the air.

The Chofetz Chaim himself witnessed the unfolding of just such a story. A recently widowed woman with young children was unable to pay her rent. The landlord pressed to evict her, while the community begged him to be patient and allow them to organize some help for her. The landlord would not wait; neither, however, could he find anyone willing to physically remove the family from the house. In his mind, this was a situation that called for desperate measures. He hired a crane to come and remove the roof from the house. “Let it rain on them. Let it snow on them. They’ll be out soon enough,” he thought. The family was indeed forced out into the street, and the landlord seemed to live on with impunity. His properties increased; his fortunes doubled and tripled.

The Chofetz Chaim, however, warned the man that he would receive his recompense in full measure. Thirty years later, a plague hit the region. The landlord was stricken by the disease, but no doctor would help him for fear of contagion. He died alone in the street. Because his body carried the dreaded plague, it remained untended for many days. No one was willing to risk illness for the sake of his dignity. It rained on him, it snowed on him and, ultimately, his frail, elderly father came to claim the son’s disgraced remains and lay him in a shallow grave.

A person with the means and the opportunity to help someone else may believe he has an option before him. As this story illustrates, however, there is really only one choice for one who wishes to protect the blessings he has. That is, to look at the poor person standing in the doorway or living down the block and think, “What can I do to help?” and then, to do it.


Step by Step

If there is something I could have done for someone recently, but didn’t, today I will try to rectify the situation.



Taken from “Chofetz Chaim: Loving Kindness – Daily Lessons in the Power of Giving,” a project of Mesorah Publications and the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation
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