26 Aug THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON FOR ELUL

Incredibly, we are
already in the thick of
Elul. We know it is very
serious, for we are taught
in Yiddishkeit, “Hakol
holeich achar ha’chasom
– Everything goes after
the finale.” Since Elul
is the last month of the
year, it defines the entire year. It is also our
opportunity to put our best face forward for
Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, when
our fate and the fates of our loved ones will be
determined.
When Black Friday comes, we know that
many people will “shop till they drop.” What
should we be doubling down on during the
month of Elul? My succinct answer would
be, give tzedakah “till you drop.” You might
be surprised. Why did I pick tzedakah of all
mitzvos?
In the 10th Chapter of Hilchos Matnas
Ani’yim, the Rambam, makes a stupendous
statement. He declares, “Chayavim anu
lizaheir b’mitzvas tzedakah yoseir mikol
mitzvos asei – One is required to be careful
with the mitzvah of charity more than all of
the positive commandments.” How amazing!
The Rambam does not exaggerate. This
means more that the mitzvah of Torah, more
than Shabbos, more than kibud av v’eim,
more than family purity, and more than the

cherished mitzvah of tefillin. I would suggest
this is because tzedakah is a matter of life and
death. As it says unequivocally, “Tzedakah
tatzil m’maves – Charity saves from death.”
The Medrash informs us that on the day of
Rabbi Aviva’s daughter’s marriage, she was
wearing a heavy brooch on her gown. Finding
it cumbersome, she took it off and stuck it in
the wall. After resting a bit, she went to put
it back on and pulled it out of the wall. To
her shock, she had impaled a venomous snake
with the brooch, which also came out when
she removed the brooch from the wall.
She showed the dead snake to her famous
father. Rabbi Akiva revealed to her that a
soothsayer told him that she would die on the
day of her wedding. He then asked her, “What
special thing did you do today that saved your
life?” She answered that there was a poor
man by the wedding. Everyone was too busy
to attend to him so she gave her own portion
at the meal to him. Rabbi Akiva immediately
taught his talmidim the lesson of tzedakah
tatzil m’maves.
It is noteworthy that during the Rosh HaShanah
and Yom Kippur liturgy, we proclaim that
three things remove an evil decree: Tshuvah,
repentance, for it acts as an erasure for our sins;
Tefilah, sincere prayer, where we beg for our
lives. And then, of all the remaining mitzvos,
we only mention one, and that’s tzedakah.
The Birkei Yosef in Yoreh Deah [247], points

out another power of tzedakah. Namely, while
sin extinguishes other mitzvos, sin cannot
extinguish the merit of charity. In the preface to
the Zohar, we are given an idea of the potency
of tzedakah. The Zohar relates when Hashem
loves a man, he sends the man a gift. The
Zohar questions, “What is the gift?” Answers
the Zohar, “A poor man,” for a poor man offers
an opportunity to give charity which saves us
from death, from the punishment of Gehenom,
increases our harmony and brings us personal
wealth.
Eliyahu HaNavi reveals to us in the Tanna
d’Vei Eliyahu Rabbah [10], “Ein lach sam
hachaim l’Malach HaMaves ela tzedakah
bilvad – There is no elixir of life against the
Angel of Death except for charity.” The great
Ohr Zeruah, in Hilchos Tzedakah [1], gives
a wonderful imagery. He says that the many
coins that we dole out to tzedakah combine to
create for us a coat of mail in the next world
against punishment. Now, I don’t want people
to give quarters instead of dollars! So imagine
that your dollars will create an impenetrable
fire-proof vest against the flames of Gehenom.
The protection of our charity extends to our
children and grandchildren. As the Yerushalmi
says in the First Chapter of Masechtas Peah,
“Tzedakah omedes l’adam ad shlosha doros
– The protection of tzedakah extends for a
person to three generations.”
There is a way to increase the potency of

tzedakah and that is to combine the giving of
it, with kind words to the poor or needy person.
The Gemara teaches us in Bava Basra [9b],
“One who gives charity to a poor man will be
blessed with six blessings. If he accompanies
his gift with comforting words, he’ll be blessed
with another eleven blessings.” If we want to
add more power to our charity, when someone
approaches us for hachnasas kallah, to help
a poor bride and groom, if we add to our
monetary gift a cheery wish for a very happy
wedding, we are almost tripling the strength of
our tzedakah.
Although all of this makes sense, it still is very
hard to part with our money and the Yeitzer
Hara strives mightily to convince us to keep
our money safely tucked away in our wallet
and in our bank. Let’s remember the guarantee
of the Rambam, and I quote, “Ein adam
me’ani min hatzedakah – No man becomes
poorer from giving charity.” So, let’s liberally
unleash this powerful protection and in its
merit may Hashem bless us all with a kesiva
v’chasima tova u’mesuka – to be written and
sealed for a sweet healthy life.