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Tuesday, February 13, 2024

The Farmer's Hat



Art Walt Curlee
 

"Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering..." [Terumah 25:2]

Why does the verse state "take for Me a portion" and not "give Me a portion"?

The Torah is showing us the greatness vested in the mitzvah of giving tzedakah.  When we fulfill the mitzvah of tzedaka, it may appear as if we are giving, but in truth we are actually taking (receiving) for ourselves a very great mitzvah.

The Midrash Rabbah elaborates on this idea: "More than what the host does for the poor man, the poor man does for the host."  The host may have given the poor person a perutah for tzedakah, but the poor person has enabled the host to earn a mitzvah that is more valuable than "thousands in gold and silver" [Tehillim 119:72]

Someone who refuses to assist a poor person, said the Chofetz Chaim, can be compared to a farmer who piled up his wagon with wheat and then travelled to a large city in order to sell it. When the farmer arrived at the city, he was immediately met by dozens of eager customers waiting to purchase his produce.  He was afraid, however, that the customers would attempt to deceive him by taking bundles of wheat without paying for them.  He therefore told them "Go ahead and fill your bags with wheat. But each time you fill up a bag, place one copper coin into my hat. When you finish filling your sacks, we will count the coins in my hat, and that way we will know how many sacks you have to pay for."

The customers agreed to the farmer's method and followed his instructions. The farmer's hat was soon full of shiny copper coins.

The farmer saw all the coins in his hat and was overcome by temptation. He quickly stole some of the coins and put them in his pocket.

How foolish is that farmer! remarked the Chofetz Chaim. He may have managed to swipe a few coins, but he will lose much more than he gained because when the time comes to pay for the wheat and the coins are counted, there will be less coins than sacks, and he will lose the payment for all those sacks. This foolish farmer will lose the payment of an entire sack of wheat for every coin that he took for himself!

This is also the case, said the Chofetz Chaim, when someone refuses to give tzedakah.  He may hold on to a coin or two, but he will lose the immense reward from a mitzvah that could have been his.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

13 comments:

  1. https://youtu.be/vnWe8oEdIlQ?feature=shared

    Geulah in Nissan, a war sometime between now and then. Many mekubalim in Israel say geulah in Nissan.

    Ron

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  2. See Tomer Devorah's post https://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/2024/02/its-complicated.html

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  3. what is the general feeling that you have regarding Javier Milei? Are you perceiving him a fraudster? And if he's sincere, what was he doing with the Pope??

    SGK

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  4. I didn't even know who he was until today. I had heard about the Argentinian hostages and the Argentian support for Israel but didn't know anything him Javier until now. I watched the video linked above and then I saw Tomer Devorah's post.
    The fact that he learns Torah and is a fan of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and I saw a video of him dancing in Israel with Rabbi Simon Jacobson.... I think he's genuine. I also think Tomer Devorah has good reasons for suspecting the Israeli government planned this whole thing but that doesn't make Javier suspect at all, for me anyway.

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  5. I heard how he went to pray at the kosel. Hashem also always answers the non Jews prayer. It’s really simple in my mind and not to go crazy with all the conspiracy theories which I totally believe about everything else but not this. Of course I may be wrong but it makes sense malky

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  6. Above post links "https://youtu.be/LPHMLXZf_zw I thought this was interesting about Javier Milei. Do you think he’s going to help usher in moshiach?"

    to an video to Jeremy Gimpel about whether he will usher in Moshiach -

    Jeremy Gimpel is a missionary - see this from Jews for Judaism about him : On February 22nd Jeremy Gimpel an educator, radio host, and Deputy Director of the World Mizrachi Movement was the featured speaker at an event in Nashville sponsored by HaYovel, a ministry founded by Tommy Waller. Hayovel brings hundreds of messianic and fundamentalist Christian volunteers to work with farmers, especially vintners, in Judea and Samaria.

    Please keep this amazing blog Jewish!

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  7. gotcha. Thanks:)

    SGK

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  8. ok thanks for the information about Jeremy Gimpel, I had a bit of doubt about him to be honest, but that video seems harmless. Everything today is so confused.

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  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  10. Gimpel is a missionary enabler. Seen on YT speaking in a church, saying that we are going to build them a church on har habayit, chalila. Also arugot farms etc. Even if missionary enablers do something that seem kosher on its own, imho, everything they do is suspect.

    Regarding Milei, also, have only heard of him recently. I found some really bizarre stuff about him in Spanish.

    Los secretos místicos de Milei: cuando "vio" la resurrección de (my XXX), sus charlas con Conan a través de una médium y la misión que le encargó Dios
    https://eleconomista.com.ar/politica/los-secretos-misticos-milei-cuando-vio-resurreccion-cristo-sus-charlas-conan-traves-una-medium-mision-le-encargo-dios-n63729


    Conan was his dog with whom he communes via a medium and more.

    Jews have to stop being thirsty for love and support from the goyim and connect to Hashem and Hashem alone.

    Sorry, but geula watching has a tendency to lead people astray. We all need to stick to the basics

    Rav Dov Kook and the Yanuka are kedoshei Yisrael.
    Rav Meir Eliyahu is a huge talmid chacham.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfR7aFvLdH4

    הרב מאיר אליהו - מלחמת חרבות ברזל ואחרית הימים

    It's worth listening to the whole class, but from about 13 minutes ....
    14 'Moshiach won't come if you don't ask for him'.
    כי הוא לא יבוא אם לא יבקשו אותו
    He brings the source from the Zohar, and more.
    Gemara Succa daf mem aleph.
    צריך לדרוש
    We have to ask/demand it.

    THIS is what hastens the geula. Tsaaka, drishat hageula. The Yanuka says the same thing, as do many other top, kosher, rabbonim.

    Every Jew with geula consciousness should be crying out for Moshiach TODAY, not thinking about by Pesach, by elul, or thinking it depends on anybody's calculations or predictions. Make only Hashem melech in your heart and mind.

    Even if it's hard for you start listening to shiurim in Hebrew, OrHageula on YT is great. Slow it down to .75, put on the subtitles, use the reverso extension, you click and translate words you don't understand in the video. Start five or ten minutes a day, or watch the 'shorts' over and over. Do this every day and you will make progress, and hear the truth.

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  11. Sorry to disappoint you S. Croning, but Jeremy Gimpel is a missionary. So I have deleted your comments, you meant well but unfortunately you were also mislead.

    Please see Tomer Devorah's blog
    https://palmtreeofdeborah.blogspot.com/search?q=jeremy+gimpel

    Jews do not go into churches and preach, that is the first obvious thing that should have alerted you to something being wrong. I should also have realized but I only remember him from Israel National News, nothing else.

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  12. I've removed the Jeremy G. video.

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  13. Unfortunately INN is all over the place. It promotes missionary enablers and is unreliable for that and other reasons.

    There is a nevua, I don't remember all the details, but before the geula, we are going to be tested, with people and/or sights intended to lead us astray. There is a mitzva de'oreita to cleave to talmidei chachamim. Now more than ever we have to focus on that, and make sure that the rabbonim we attach ourselves to are truly talmidei chachamim and kosher. Lehavdil, regarding non-Jews, proceed with caution, no need to get too carried away. A Jew puts their trust in Hashem alone.

    Moshiach Now



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