בס"ד "אין עוד מלבדו..." "ברוך פודה ומציל, ברוך שמו"!! "אין סוף תודות, לאין סוף ברוך הוא"!!! Issue 893 להקדשה או הנצחה חייגו: 054-888-3969 Candles lighting time: Shabbat ends: Lastest Kriat Shema: Mincha Gedola: Los Angeles: 16:27 Los Angeles: 17:28 Los Angeles: 8:14 Los Angeles: 12:04 New York: 16:16 New York: 17:05 New York: 8:20 New York: 12:06 London: 15:49 London: 17:03 London: 8:28 London: 12:07 Lesson of Parshat “Vayetze” 5779. This is the way to great wealth!!! When Yaakov Avinu A”h, awoke from his sleep, he vowed: amount of tithes is for someone who give Tzedaks (charity) "If G-d will be with me,... and everything that You give me, I in moderation, but one who wants to give nicely, gives will surely tithe to You.." from his profits twenty percent." In other words, Yaacov was the first to observe the The man of G-d, the Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, wrote in commandment of ma'aser (tithes), i.e. to give ten percent his letter: "And for the sake of the Lord, you should set aside of his salary to charity. the Chomesh as I commanded you, and do not diminish!" The commandment of ma'aser for charity is a very His disciple, the Gaon Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin Zlh”h, was precious and important in front of our Father in Heaven, very careful to set aside a Chomesh (20%), and said: "If all of and in order to strengthen and hasten us to fulfill this Israel will give a chomesh (20%) of their salary to charity, it wonderful mitzvah and to give the needy ten percent of our will be fulfilled in them: “there will be no needy among you.” income, this is why He promised us and said: "Anybody It is told: once the servant of Rabbi Chaim of Volzhyn went who tithes will end up becoming rich." Not only that, to draw water from the well, and the bucket fell into the well, Even though we do not observe mitzvot in order to receive and when he tried to lift the bucket with the ax that was with health or wealth or any other salvation, we are nevertheless him, the ax also fell into the well. When Rabbi Chaim heard permitted by our Heavenly Father to "test" him and to see this, he asked the servant, "What is the value of the bucket that we will merit wealth by fulfilling this mitzvah, and this is and the ax?" "Three gold coins," replied the servant. what He said to us by the prophet Malachi: "... and test Me As soon as Rabbi Chaim of Volzhyn heard this, he gave now therewith, says the Lord of Hosts, [to see] if I will not three gold coins to his servant and said to him: "This open the heavens and pour down blessing for you, blessing morning I deducted three gold coins from the Chomesh until there be no room to suffice for it.,' that is to say: The (20%) of my incomes because I was not certain what it is, Lord asks us to test Him in this! please give these 3 gold coins to charity!!” Rabbeinu Yonah wrote (in the Book of Awe): "From And as the servant was still at the door, one of the Rabbi’s everything that a person earns, weather it something he students came and said, "Rabbi, we managed to raise the taught, something he wrote, if he did work and received his bucket and the ax from the well!" payment, or even if he found something or received a gift.... Each time they brought Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer Ztz’l From everything he should tithe.” the money of his salary, he would immediately put aside a And the Holy Shl”a added: "Even a person who inherited Chomesh to charity and say, "This money is holy and his father's inheritance must tithe, and even if his father belongs to Klal Yisroel"!!! was careful all his life in tithes, nevertheless the son must It is told about the head of the yeshiva heads (this is how give a tithe from the inheritance that Hashem gave him.” the Rosh Yeshiva, Chacham Ye’uda Tzadka ztz’l called From the word tithe that Yaacov Avinu said twice in the him), the Gaon Elazar Menachem Man Shach ztz’l, that once they learned in the Gemara a man came to see him and began to weep as he ,("עשר אעשרנו") above verse (in Tractate Ketubot 50a): tithing twice (2x10%) - meaning recounted to him his terrible troubles about his wife who had "Chomesh," meaning "one of five", that is, twenty percent a serious illness and his children who needed medical of one's salary. treatments, and he doesn’t have any money. The Chafetz Chaim ztz’l wrote (in his book “Ahavat Rabbi Shach, who was shocked as he heard this, immediately Chesed”, chapter 19): "You should know furthermore! The began to comfort him with words of encouragement and FYI: This wonderful Torah newsletter is available in Hebrew, English and French. As we get your request at [email protected], we will email it to you and to anyone you see fit. Yishar Koach!!! בס"ד "אין עוד מלבדו..." "ברוך פודה ומציל, ברוך שמו"!! "אין סוף תודות, לאין סוף ברוך הוא"!!! strengthening, and as he spoke he went to the closet and took out a thousand dollars and gave the money to that man. The man was very happy with the generous donation and got up and went on his way. As soon as he left the house of Rabbi Ztz’l, one of the Dear Rabbi, Shalom and bracha! members of the house entered and in a state of emotion My name is Alon Paz and I am now 38 years old. asked the Rabbi: "How can such a crooked man be given I was born and lived in Hod Hasharon. I was born with a such a large sum of money? Whereas it is known and leg disability. At any rate I was able to live independently. famous that all his stories are fabricated and false! " I was able to walk a few steps, drive, write and I ate well. As soon as Rabbi Shach heard this, he started saying: About six years ago, while driving a car specially adapted "Blessed be the Lord! Hashem saved me!" for my disability, I was involved in a serious car accident. "How did He save you?" asked the man and added, "as As a result of the accident, I was completely paralyzed in soon as he left, he told all the people outside that you gave every part of my body. My diaphragm was damaged so I him a thousand dollars!" am also now connected to a respirator. No hands, no To his great astonishment, Rabbi Shach replied: "My heart legs, and breathing, by the grace of the Almighty, with the also told me that his stories might be false, and because of help of a machine, His faithful messenger. my doubt, I did not give him from my charity money but At present I am hospitalized in the "Beit Rivka" nursing from the money of my own salary." home in Petah Tikva. Following my accident, my faith in Furthermore the “Chafetz Chaim” wrote (in his book the Creator became even stronger. I spend my time “Ahavat Chesed” chapter 20): "The people who are learning Torah with the help of rabbis and good people accustomed of giving up tithe or Chomesh from who come and also with friends who come to visit and everything that they earn, their Tzedaka is much greater keep me company. Some do this regularly. than those who just give charity in the same amount, I am lying down in a private room and hardly ever leave. I Since those who give just charity in the same amount occupy myself with prayers and study most of the time. have only the mitzvah of Tzedaka, but their business has Here I will share with you the way I deal with my situation, no advantage over others. But this is not the case for the strength I draw from my faith which sustains me and those who give a tithe or Chomesh, their business is gives me the will to live and move on. shared with G-d, and it has a great advantage that it is a I hope you will be strengthened by my words and business that has a mitzva, especially if at the time when strengthen others as well. he took upon himself to set aside a tithe or Chomesh he An average person, when the smallest thing happens to thought that all his actions would share a portion with him, he immediately says or cries: "Creator of the world, G-d, then how wonderful is his share and how pleasant is why me, why do I deserve this? What have I done?” I do not his fate.” remember ever saying since the accident till today "why"... And I personally know dozens of people whose parnassa There is only one word that I said and I still say till today, (livelihood) was extremely difficult, and some of them even "Thank you, thank you, Creator of the Universe, if this is owned factories and properties, and the wheel turned on what you have chosen for me, who am I to come and them until they almost needed charity from people. In my complain and cry and be angry with You? Only You know conversation with them, I extended about the glory of the what is best for me, Holy One, Blessed be He, everything mitzvah of tithes and the promise of The Creator: "Give is for the best.