The Profound Impact of Giving to the Poor

Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Elazar says four approaches in this regard: Who was it who performed kindness with those who were not in need? Abraham, with the ministering angels. It is written: “He stood over them beneath the tree, and they ate” (Genesis 18:8). Were they eating?

Rabbi Yudan said: They appeared as though they were eating and drinking, and each course disappeared in turn. How did the Holy One blessed be He reward his descendants? The manna fell for them, the spring arose for them, the quail was present for them, the clouds of glory surrounded them, and the pillar of cloud traveled before them. The matters can be inferred a fortiori.

For one who performed kindness for those who were not in need of kindness, the Holy One blessed be He rewarded his descendants; one who performs kindness for those who are in need, all the more so. Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Elazar said another approach in this regard: Who was it who did not perform kindness for those who were not in need of kindness? The Amonites and Moavites, with Israel, as it is written: “Because they did not greet you with bread and with water” (Deuteronomy 23:5).

Did Israel need them? Is it not so that all those forty years that Israel was in the wilderness, the manna fell for them, the spring arose for them, the quail was present for them, the clouds of glory surrounded them, and the pillar of cloud traveled before them? Rather, it is common courtesy that those who come from the way, one greets them with food and drink. How did the Holy One blessed be He repay them as a result?

“An Amonite or a Moavite shall not enter [into the assembly of the Lord]” (Deuteronomy 23:4). The matters can be inferred a fortiori. For those who did not perform kindness for those who were not in need of kindness, see how He repaid them in punishment; one who does not perform kindness for one who is in need of kindness, all the more so. Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Elazar says another approach in this regard: Who was it who performed kindness with one to whom he was beholden?

Yitro, with Moses. “He said: Call him and let him eat bread” (Exodus 2:20). Rabbi Simon said: He fed him for his wages, as it is written: “He drew water for us” (Exodus 2:19).17Yitro was merely repaying Moses for having drawn water in order to help Yitro’s daughters give it to the sheep. Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda said: He drew water for us and for our ancestors.18This is based on the doubled Hebrew term employed in the verse “He drew water [dalo dala] for us.”

Apparently, the daughters of Yitro had their own sheep, in addition to tending to their father’s sheep (Etz Yosef; cf. Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Neḥemya said: He drew water for us and for the shepherds. The Rabbis said: He drew water for us due to the merit of our ancestors, and for the shepherds in order to make peace. When did the Holy One blessed be He pay his reward?

Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: In the days of Saul. That is what is written: “Saul said to the Kenite: Go, withdraw and descend [from the midst of the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, and you acted with kindness with all the children of Israel when they came up from Egypt]” (I Samuel 15:6). Did he perform kindness for all Israel? Did he not perform kindness only for Moses alone?

Rather, it is to teach you that anyone who performs kindness for one of the prominent leaders of Israel, it is ascribed to him as though he performed kindness for all Israel. The matters can be inferred a fortiori. For one who performed kindness for one to whom he was beholden, see how the Holy One blessed be He repaid him one who performs kindness for one to whom he is not beholden, all the more so.

Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Elazar says another approach in this regard. He said: Who was it who performed kindness with one who was in need of kindness? It was Boaz, with Ruth. That is what is written: “Boaz said to her at mealtime: Come here” (Ruth 2:14); draw near.

“Eat of the bread” (Ruth 2:14); of the bread of the reapers. “Dip your morsel in vinegar” (Ruth 2:14); as it is the way of the reapers to dip their morsel in vinegar during the dry heat. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From here [it may be derived] that one takes out food containing vinegar to the threshing floors.19Harvesting and threshing are performed in the summer, and vinegar helps the workers find some relief from the heat.

“She sat alongside the reapers” (Ruth 2:14); in its plain sense. “He handed her a pinch of toasted grain” (Ruth 2:14); he gave her a minute pinch with his fingertips. But is it not written: “She ate, she was satisfied, and she left over”? (Ruth 2:14). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: We derive from this one of two matters: Either a blessing rested on the hand of that righteous man, or a blessing rested in the innards of that righteous woman.

But from what is written: “She ate, she was satisfied, and she left over,” we know that a blessing rested in the innards of that righteous woman. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Torah teaches you etiquette. When a person performs a mitzva, he should do so with a joyous heart. Had Reuben known that the Holy One blessed be He would dictate in his regard: “Reuben heard and he rescued him from their hand” (Genesis 37:21),20Reuben rescued Joseph from his brothers, who had conspired to kill him. he would have carried him and taken him to his father.

Had Boaz known that the Holy One blessed be He would dictate in his regard: “He handed her a pinch of toasted grain,” he would have fed her fattened calves. Rabbi Kohen and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Levi: In the past, a person would perform a mitzva and the prophet would record it, but now, when a person performs a mitzva, who records it? It is Elijah and the messianic king, and the Holy One blessed be He signs it for them, like that which is written: “Then those who fear the Lord spoke one to another, and the Lord listened and heeded; a book of remembrance was written before Him” (Malachi 3:16).

Rabbi Yehoshua taught: More than what the homeowner does for the poor person, the poor person does for the homeowner, as Ruth says to Naomi: “The name of the man for whom I acted today is Boaz” (Ruth 2:19).21This verse would ordinarily be translated “for whom I worked.” However, the term used for worked [asiti] does not literally mean worked. It is a more general term that can also be translated “did,” or “acted.”

“Who acted for me” is not written here, but rather, “for whom I acted.” She said to her: ‘I performed many actions and favors with him today for the piece of bread that he gave me.’22Meaning, by taking the bread that he gave me, I did him a favor by giving him the merit of the mitzva of charity.