Reih -- 5775

I live near the 101, and frequently drive on it and under it.  At every corner, it seems, there’s a man or woman, skinny and ragged, holding a sign and asking for money.  Some smile at passersby; some stare at the pavement.  It must be excruciating in summer.

“There shall be no needy among you,” the Torah declares (Deuteronomy 15:4).  But then, shortly afterwards, we find the statement “if … there is a needy person among you … you must open your hand and lend whatever is needed” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8).  This makes no sense.  How can it be that there’s a person in need when there are no needy people among us?

Perhaps it’s a difference in perception.  Sometimes we notice the need, and sometimes we don’t.

When I drive past the freeway alone, I see the solicitors and an internal conversation starts:  “I’m in the wrong lane.  And he looks young and healthy.  Where will the money go?  I wish I had a bottle of water or a tooth brush to give him instead of cash.  How can I make systemic improvements instead of giving a handout?”  But when I’m driving with my son, it’s very clear:  “We have to give that man tzedakah, daddy.”

I fail to see the need so often.  To my son, it is plain as day:  “If … there is a needy person among you … you must open your hand …”