Parshas Shemini 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
ואת אלה תשקצו מן העוף לא יאכלו שקץ הם ... ואת החסידה האנפה למינה וגו' (יא-יט)
The Torah lists kosher and non-kosher birds. One of the non-kosher birds is the Chasidah because it does kindness (chessed) to its young. If it is known for doing kindness, why is it not kosher? The Meforshim explain that although it does kindness for its own, it does not do so for others. Kindness that is done only for your own is not true kindness. True kindness extends beyond your family, beyond your own circle of friends: true kindness extends lovingly, indiscriminately and selflessly to all. R’ Zev Smith shlita (Life’s Ladder) writes that sometimes a person thinks, “Ribono Shel Olam, I need help! What should I do? Send me a yeshua!” And right then, he notices someone who needs his help. A person from Eretz Yisroel with a “hard luck story,” or a neighbor who needs a little chizuk; the phone rings and it’s a friend who needs help. He shouldn’t think, “I am overwhelmed by my own problems. I do not have the time, or the money, or the peace of mind to help anyone else.” A Yid living with emunah realizes that doing chessed for others might be the key to the yeshua that he really needs.
A wealthy Jew once visited the Chazon Ish zt”l and expected to see the Posek Hador, the leader of the generation, living in a comfortably appointed home. He was shocked to see the reality - the Chazon Ish lived in abject poverty, in a small and cramped apartment. He was so moved that after his meeting he took out a wad of bills and put it on the Chazon Ish’s table.
“Please, Rebbi,” he urged the elderly Tzaddik with sympathy and compassion, “please take this money!”
The Chazon Ish smiled slightly and replied, “Thank you, but I don’t take money for personal needs.”
“Uber fun vos lebt dem Rebbi - but how does the Rebbi live?” asked the wealthy man againwith a concerned expression.
The Chazon Ish, with a twinkle and a smile, answered, “Ich leb fun tuhn ah Yid ah tovah - I live by helping others.”
The Chazon Ish probably meant a play on words, explains Rabbi Smith, helping others is what he “lives for.” But there is a depth to his words, because chessed generates the greatest zechusim, which in turn benefits us directly. In other words, it can be said that not only do we live to give, but, more accurately, we give to live. We all live from the chessed we do.
Another incredible story is told about an individual from Far Rockaway, New York, who is personally acquainted with the people involved. He related the following story: Reuven approached Shimon to ask him for a very important favor. “Reb Shimon, I need a significant loan, but since I do not own my home, the bank will not lend me money. They told me, however, that if I can find a homeowner, a neighbor, who will allow his house to be mortgaged, the bank will grant me a loan.”
Shimon was not thrilled about the idea of mortgaging his home, but he thought it over and decided that this was an opportunity to do a big chessed. “I’ll do it!” he told Reuven.
The two went to the bank, and began filling out the paperwork, but the bank manager told Shimon that his house did not qualify for the loan since he did not have enough insurance to satisfy the bank’s requirements for a secure property.
“We can only use your home if you take out extra coverage, specifically flood insurance.”
Now Shimon was faced with an overwhelming challenge. The whole idea was not really to his liking, and now he was being asked to buy extra insurance, which he did not even want. He never committed to spending his own money for this chessed. Shimon had the perfect excuse - he really wanted to help, but things did not work out. But Shimon decided that although he could get out of his commitment, he had every right to do so, he was not going to. He wanted to help Reuven. He took the opportunity to do this favor for Reuven, even at his own expense. Shimon bought the insurance.
A short time later, on October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy landed in New York. The unprecedented superstorm flooded nearly 90,000 buildings, cut off power for 2 million residents, and left 43 people dead. One of hardest hit areas was Far Rockaway, which sustained terrible flood damage. But Shimon was one of the few people who had the necessary flood insurance to make a claim and receive full coverage for all of his losses. Without that, he would have been left devastated.
