Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

214
בלה תובשחמ
When I was first married I lived in an apartment for a number of years. There
was a tzedakah organization in my neighborhood that often helped people who
couldn’t pay their mortgage and were about to be foreclosed (this was even before
the sub-prime mortgage days). My initial reaction to giving to such a tzadakah
was to think that I live in an apartment and it’s not so bad, let these people learn
to live smaller and not have the luxury of a house. Why should the tzibbur be
asked to give when the people can be told to downsize their unaffordable lifestyle?
Why should I shell out money to support something that I can’t even afford for
myself? Thankfully I soon realized that my thoughts went against the notion
of dei machsoro as stated above. A person who scraped together money for a
down payment on an affordable house to fulfill the “American dream” of owning
a house and was now suddenly without a job or had unexpected expenses come
up truly has a need for this house. Imagine how he would be destroyed if he lost
his home and had to start all over again.
The results of chesed performed in a manner that accounts for the needs of the
particular poor person is that the giver will usually end up giving even more
than what was requested. For example if the poor man requests money but the
particular giver is a ba’al chesed, he won’t be satisfied with merely fulfilling the
request and writing him a check, he will determine that he doesn’t need other
help or he will ensure that he is helped in a way that improves his self confidence,
etc.
When Eliezer is looking for a wife for Yitzchak he states that the wife will be the
one whom, when I ask for water, will draw me and my camels as well – “that is
the girl that Hashem has proven is for Yitzchak and through this (test) I will
know that Hashem has done kindness to my master”(Bereishis 24:14). Rashi says
that this test proves that she is a gomel chesed and is worthy to enter the house of
Avraham. Rav Wolbe explains that her status as a gomel chesed was proven by not
merely agreeing to Eliezer’s personal request for water but seeing that there was a
further need for water for the camels.