Parashat Re’eh 5785, 2025: "You Shall Open Your Hand to Him"

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
The mitzvah of tzedakah, the equitable distribution of financial resources to the vulnerable among us, is one of the focal points of our parasha:

If there will be among you a needy person, from one of your brothers in one of your cities, in your land the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not close your hand from your needy brother. Rather, you shall open your hand to him... (Sefer Devarim 15:7-8, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), explains in the name of his paternal grandfather, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik zatzal (1853-1918), that the phrase, “you shall open your hand to him” constitutes the mitzvat aseh, the positive commandment, that obligates an individual to distribute tzedakah to the poor. (Chumash Mesoras HaRav, Sefer Devarim, page 128) Therefore, the preceding expression, “you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not close your hand from your needy brother,” comprises the mitzvat lo ta’aseh, the prohibition against acting in a miserly manner toward a needy fellow Jew. As the Rambam zatzal (1135-1204) states:

It is a positive commandment to give tzedakah to the poor among the Jewish people, according to what is appropriate for the poor person, if this is within the financial capacity of the donor, as [the text] states: “You shall open your hand to him.”
 
Anyone who sees a poor person asking and turns his eyes away from him and does not give him tzedakah transgresses a negative commandment, as [the text] states: “you shall not harden your heart, and you shall not close your hand from your needy brother.” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 7:1-2, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my emendations)
 
In his Torah commentary Tzror HaMor on our passage, Rabbi Avraham Saba zatzal (1440-1508), views these two mitzvot as a springboard for developing our middot:

For what am I and what is my [so-called] strength? For it is surely the case that He is the One Who gives the strength [to people] so that they may perform meritorious acts. This is precisely why the Torah text states: “you shall open your hand to him,” and that you should pay no heed to any hardness of your heart. You absolutely must, therefore, open up your hand [to satisfy the tzedakah needs of your fellow Jew], just as Hashem opens up His hand [to provide for the needs of all those in want]. (Translations and brackets my own)
 
Herein, Rav Saba teaches us that all gifts that are bestowed upon us are from the Almighty. In addition, he maintains that when we respond to the needs of others in an open-handed manner, we emulate our Creator’s actions: “You [Hashem] open Your hand and satisfy every living thing [with] its desire.” (“Ashrei,” Sefer Tehillim 145:16)
 
At this point, Rav Saba focuses on the kofetz yado, the one who is unwilling to give tzedakah to their fellow Jew. In so doing, he helps us understand the psyche of such an individual:

Our Sages teach us [Talmud Bavli, Baba Batra 10a] that one who closes his hand and refuses to give to the poor is like an idol worshipper. [What is the proof for this assertion?] The text states here [in our parasha]: “Beware, lest there be in your heart an unfaithful thought (davar v’liya’al)...and you will begrudge your needy brother and not give him” (15:9), which is preceded by the phrase: “Unfaithful men (b’nai v’liya’al) have gone forth from among you and have led the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, ‘Let us go and worship other gods, which you have not known.’’ (13:14) Just as [the first instance of v’liya’al] refers to idol worship, so, too, [does v’liya’al in reference to one who refuses to give tzedakah] teach us that he is like one who is engaged in idol worship. [Underlining my own]
 
How exactly is the kofetz yado like an idol worshipper? Rav Sabba suggests the following trenchant analysis:
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...for when such an individual closes his hand and refrains from giving to the poor, he begins to feel that everything belongs to him, and that it is his strength and power, kocho v’otzem yado, that creates his wealth. This feeling grows until he rejects Hashem, who continuously provides him with the ability to develop and maintain his wealth. This, in turn, leads him to repudiate the totality of the Torah; as such, it is as if he is an idol worshipper.
 
In sum, according to Rav Sabba, the pota’ach yado is an individual who is keenly aware that m’ate Hashem hayitah zot, everything is ultimately from the Almighty. Since this is the case, we naturally recognize that we are the stewards of everything He bestows upon us and share these funds with others less fortunate than we. In so doing, we follow in the footsteps of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
 
In stark contrast, the kofetz yado is similar to an idol worshipper who rejects Hashem and His holy Torah. He maintains that everything he has acquired is the result of his own efforts, which consequently leads him to the specious notion, “leit din v’leit dayan—there is no judgment and no Judge.”
 
With Hashem’s help, may we ever be counted among those who give tzedakah with open hearts and hands; and may the zechut of this mitzvah bring the entire Jewish people ever closer to the Almighty. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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