What is so unique about charity 🤔? Our sages state that giving charity is *the most* important mitzvah that exists.
Now that we understand that the goal of the mitzvot is to elevate🪁 our bodies, animal souls 🐮, and the physical objects we encounter, we can also understand the unique significance of the mitzvah of charity.
Our sages state that giving charity "Equals all the other commandments combined". Charity requires us to sacrifice the thing most sensitive and precious to us – Our money. All other mitzvot require the use of a specific body part, and only for a limited amount of time. But the money in your pocket is different….
In Hebrew, one of the words for "money" is דמים - Damim - which also means blood🩸🩸🩸! It isn't for nothing that there are two meanings to the same word. After all, blood and sweat are really found inside that monthly paycheck!
That is why the act of giving charity elevates 🙌so much of your life into holiness. There is no other mitzvah that requires as much of your vitality and energy as charity does.
But what if you landed the money effortlessly?
Even if you won the lottery 🤩 or inherited a large sum of money 💰, there is so much you could have done with the money!
You could have finally indulged to your heart's content 😋and gifted yourself:
An exclusive vacation 🏖️,
A beachfront property 🏚️,
A luxury yacht ⛵,
Designer clothing 👘🥻👠
Gourmet foods 🫕🍱...
But instead of all that, you chose to give the money to charity 😊.
That entails giving up things that could have given more life to your physical body 🤑. Your entire being sacrificed itself in order to fulfill this commandment! Because money impacts your very life and existence, the rabbis emphasized that it is uniquely charity that brings Moshiach closer. One act of charity elevates many parts of yourself… _Much more than any other mitzvah_!
✔️Charity-giving elevates this physical world more than any of the other mitzvot.
✔️ There are specific times when it is especially appropriate to give to charity:
Every morning ☀️ before praying,
Before lighting Shabbat candles🕯️🕯️,
In memory of a loved one 🕯️
Likewise, in order to instill the trait of generosity and kindness in your children 👧🏻👱♂️, ensure they, too, have coins to donate to charity regularly.
