The True Worth of a Shekel
Friday, January 11, 2008 by ianpear
If you’re looking for a description of the human chain formed around Jerusalem’s old city walls, go here.
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Tzedaka — the giving of charity — is a Jewish custom we are all familiar with. Slightly less known, though, is the custom of a person giving tzedaka — even if just a small amount, a shekel (or dollar) or two – just prior to praying each day. There are a number of reasons for this custom:
For starters, by showing concern for others just before we pray to God, we fulfill the mitzvah of “loving one’s neighbor” — which in turn ‘inspires’ God to be more open to our petitions. As the Ari z”l suggests, when God sees the unity of His children below, God cannot but desire to allow his children to also forge a unity Above, with God. God is like a parent who derives satisfaction and pride when His children get along and help one another, and what better way to reward such action than to overlook some of His children’s other flaws and accept their petitions.
[This, by the way, is also one of the reasons why all our prayers are in the plural form. In so doing, we join together with others, proving to God that we are concerned with one another and united with one another.]
A second reason why we give tzedaka right before praying is to help improve our kavana - intention - while praying. One of the obstacles to proper kavanais the constant intrusion into our thoughts of different problems we may be currently facing and regular daily concerns. One may be praying quite nicely when all of a sudden he or she is reminded of the bill not yet paid — and the lack of money in one’s account to pay it — or the trouble at school one’s child is having, or the fact that people don’t like him as much as he would like, and on and on. When a person gives tzedaka he realizes that whatever problems he may have, there are others far less fortunate than he. There are those that don’t have food on their plate or a roof above their heads. By giving to others, he leaves his problems a little and goes beyond his own personal needs. From such a state, his prayers are far more effective.
… Which leads us to a third reason. The essence of prayer is the ability to reach beyond the mundane and limited, our world, and attach oneself to the awe-inspiring and One without limits. How can one possibly bridge the gap? Part of the answer must be that an individual needs to approach God as someone ‘more’ than his regular self. He must aspire to great heights if he has any hope of reaching such heights. When one gives tzedaka - and demonstrates responsibilites to others, to an entire community, and even to people he does not know — he affirms his connection to things much larger than himself. His vision expands and his horizon widens. Such a person can approach God and hope to bridge the gap between the Heavens and the Earth.
Who knew that a small little shekel or dollar could open up such worlds?
