ולך תהיה צדקה לפני ה' אלקיך ... (כד-יג)
MASHAL: “Yossel the Pauper” as he was known, seemed condemned to his fate. No matter what he tried his hand at failed. He tried opening a grocery, and everything spoiled. He tried opening a clothing store, and rats ruined the merchandise. He opened a flower shop, and the flowers died. He even tried to be a janitor, but his broom broke...!
Finally, he had enough. He thought long and hard until he came up with a brilliant idea. He went to the cemetery and dug a grave. He watched closely to make sure that the “poverty” shadowing him all his life followed him into the grave. Then, he quickly jumped out and covered the grave, burying “poverty” forever!
Sure enough the tables turned and he soon became very wealthy. When the High Holidays arrived and the gabbai in shul sold various kibudim, Yossel out-bid even Yankel, the richest man in town. He became a sensation!
Yankel, however, was seething. No one dares outbid Yankel! When Yossel gleefully told Yankel his tall-tale of how he became so wealthy, Yankel decided to take revenge.
He promptly went to the cemetery, found the grave and dug it open. Then he called out, “Okay ‘poverty’, you can come out now and return to Yossel...”
A sudden voice cried out, “Return to Yossel? Not a chance! Never! Just look what he did to me! You on the other hand, you seem like a nice guy...”
NIMSHAL: The Torah describes the process of taking a collateral from a poor person. Each night it must be returned since the poor man needs his meager possessions. This, the Torah says, is called righteousness. We learn from here, that treating a poor man properly and respectfully makes a person into a Tzaddik, a righteous person. What an easy way to become a Tzaddik!
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