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The Short Vort- -“On Givers and Takers” (5/31/10)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Monday the 18th of Sivan 5770 and May 31, 2010
On Givers and Takers
In Pirkei Avos we learn: “Joshua the son of Perachia and Nitai the Arbelite received from them. Joshua the son of Perachia would say: …and judge every man to the side of merit.” (1:6)
It is interesting to note that in the original Hebrew, the Mishna reads: “and judge the entire man to the side of merit.” Meaning, in the original Hebrew it does not say ‘dan es ha’Adam l’Kaf zechus’; it says: ‘dan es KOL ha’Adam l’Kaf zechus’.
There is the extra word ‘KOL’ which means that you have to judge the entire -total man in the side of merit.
What is added by the extra word KOL? What extra explanation is included by the phrase: the total man?
The S’fas Emes (YehudahAryeh Leib Alter, 1847–1905) explains that the word KOL comes to teach us that you can never really judge anyone without understanding the entire man; where he comes from and where he is going.
Although I had always appreciated and was inspired by words of the S’fas Emes, it wasn’t until an incident occurred in the shul which brought his words from the head to the heart.
It was last week in the shul. There was a new fellow in the shul. This itself was not strange as Baruch Hashem there are always new people appearing in one of the multiple minyanim of the shul on a daily basis.
However, he was acting different. Indeed, different from anyone else I had ever seen in shul.
Could my eyes be deceiving me? Was that not his hand actually removing money from the Pushka (the tzedoka-charity box) as it was being taken around the shul by the gabbai?
I did not react the first time. However, the next day, it occurred again. There was no question as to what he was doing. As the gabbai was walking around with the pushkas and most of the mispallelim were placing coins or bills into the pushkas, this man actually removed a coin or two and placed it in his pocket!
I quickly attempted to ‘judge him favorably’ and therefore imagined that he must be out of work, on hard times and/or in need of assistance. After davening, I went over to him quietly and discreetly, said “Shalom Aleichem”, and inquired if he was in need of any help. He said that Baruch Hashem he has a fine job and all is well at home. I asked if had any friends or relatives who had hit on hard times and were relying on him for support. He replied that all of his friends and relatives were well and fine.
Finally, after I had exhausted all of my attempts to find out what the story with him is, I said that I could not help but notice that he had his hand in the pushka and was seen removing money from it.
Again, he appeared totally unfazed and responded, “Yes that is true. Is there anything I should know?’
At this point I just came out and said, “If you are not in need. And you do not know of anyone in need, why on Earth are you removing money from the pushka?”
I was never prepared for his answer.
He looked at me and said, “Rabbi, from the way you are looking at me- you must think that I have stolen money from the Pushka. That is not the case at all.”
“Well, I am somewhat concerned. If you do not need the money, then why did you take the money?”
“Rabbi, I do not really understand your question. Perhaps though we have a cultural gap, and perhaps that is why we do not understand each other”.
I looked at him more perplexed than ever, however, I encouraged him to continue.
“Rabbi, obviously from the way you are looking at me- I should assume that the minhag here in the shul must be that whoever wants to donate to the pushka does so? Correct?”
“Yes, I would say that is an accurate description of things here in the shul”.
“Meaning here in the shul- you are expected to be a ‘giver’, however, you are not expected to be a ‘taker’?
“Yes, I would say that is an accurate description of things here in the shul”.
“Rabbi, I have just returned from Eretz Yisroel, from a yeshiva there. In my yeshiva where I was learning for the last two years, the way it worked was that the pushka was passed around and the money which was put in was there for whoever needed bus fare or a coffee could take a shekel or two and use it.
Meaning, the expectation was that some would be ‘givers’ and others would be ‘takers’.
In fact at the end of the day, there was no money left.
Whoever had a few extra shekels they put it in the pushka and whoever was short a few shekel took it out from the pushka. In that way the Rosh Yeshiva who instituted this system wanted everyone to always feel that we all were dependent on each other.
Most days we were ‘givers’; however, everyone was sometimes a ‘taker’.
These last two days when I came to shul I realized that I only had large bills on me and I would need some quarters for the meters, so I took two quarters each day. However, two days ago when I did not need anything, I placed a $10 bill in the pushka.
However, obviously here in the shul this is not the way things are done so of course I will never ‘be a taker’ here again. I am sorry for the misunderstanding”.
I must admit that I was shocked by his answer. However, after looking in to it, I realized that he was telling the truth.
As I left him I realized that without knowing ‘the entire man’ (es Kol Ha’Adam) you never really know anything.
Go figure…. You never know….