Excuses not to give charity aren't acceptable & damaging - Igeres HaKodesh 16-RC Dalfin

we're learning the fifth the fourth section Tanya we're on page at the bottom of the page the 16th letter now you'll notice if you have a Tanya in front of you that before for the actual number t z which is 16 in smaller words it says above ites to the holy men Etc this chapter 16 and chapter nine earlier letter N letter nine are the I believe are the only two of the 32 KES which specifically has that caption above it what does that tell us that tells us that unlike the rest of the letters inish which were written to all of theab Brotherhood this specifically was written to a specific kabad community anes and this we don't know which one or at least I don't know which one But whichever one it was it was very specific to them but the AL the children of the AL included in in the general 32 letters ofes because the lesson the issue and the lesson is relevant to all but historically this was WR this letter was written to a particular community and they had a problem and the problem is a one that we could relate to the problem is that when you live in a certain community and the the finances that are generated in that Community or in that Environ Environ dry up for part any particular reason that particular Community is out of money so for example during World War II certain cities did very well because they made steel Pittsburgh different cities and they provided the steel for the bombers and the submarines and the economy did very well Baltimore others whose industry was of another ilk didn't do that well in that in those areas so the question is the issue is and this is what they they they they had obviously told the Alba when the AL Reb's emissaries came to them and said say for B sheemish okay raish then M come to ra and last year gave him $100 and this year you give them $18 so they turn around they say rer you gave me $100 last year and I depend on that $100 says but I work in a clinic I do this and that I'm a doctor and for whatever reason insurance is not paying as much and and I don't have as much I I can't give you as much this is what this letter is about and this is why you need such an important letter for all of us today not just when they printed the the T with these letters 200 plus years ago so let's see what the AL says here and he's again what what I'm finding here and I'm communicating to you in the classes is how the AL doesn't let his guard down it's amazing you're talking about people in Russia and Ukraine in bellusa who he keeps on demanding of them to give Saka and don't give less and he gives all kinds of explanations in general and then he tells them especially for the it's amazing to me how he is so uh en raptured by the of and theck of it's amazing when you go through these letters and and I hope you guys are picking this up he is a rabbi in Russia he's a his are primarily in Russia and Ukraine what is he what is he so so enamored with that he has to pour his heart out and and and scold his big time and that's what he does here as well so it's it's it's very interesting to see how he doesn't give in in other words normally when someone comes to your door and you tell them look I love you and I believe in your cause and I want to give you as much as last year I just simply don't have it I didn't make as much this year come back next year for hopefully the year will be a better one right people accept that the Ala doesn't accept it he doesn't AC accept it and and he doesn't just accept it emotionally he biblically Hally he's going to show show us that it's not acceptable so he puts the hus on us wow that's a he raises the bar as as as high as it can go abam you can't go any higher I don't got it what do you want from me Reby sorry chap now look inside okay this is part of a verse but he the words my beloved ones from the word my brothers and my friends what is the the reason and the and of kind of citing this as a beginning because there are certain things that only Brothers sibl ings relate to and feel and there's other things only friends do you hear that I told you many times I repeated that RAB salvic would say there's certain things that he can't share with his family because they don't get it they don't relate to it they're too close and only students can relate to they could see him and what what he wants from a different perspective simultaneously students friends R can see from a certain perspective but they don't see what family sees that's why you need both I can tell you that in as a researcher and writer I try to get both the family perspective and the student perspective okay so he says like this a my beloved ones my brothers my friends you're like my soul it's very endearing all of you are like Soul it has not been hidden from me the shout of the time which basically means it's very bad out there there's no money but the the expression is is like it rips through your Kish you're Shing and in fact in the early the writings I think there was a yish line over here which is for it shouldn't happen to us it's a very heavy heavy phrase so it's this is bad Economic Times please turn your T to page 248 our livelihood has dwindled it's a very rare word usage but it's you it it means what it means it's a again a heavy heavy word there dala really um uh winding down dwindling Dr AB says I'm not just saying this as a rebi as a rabbi as a leader I know this from on the ground because my basically my my students who were educated the word comes to the word no I'm sorry not from I'm sorry not from my from my students who I know firsthand that they rely on others because they're so and they borrow they borrow they don't have what to eat food may God have mercy you understand he's talking to his people in Russia in in Bia in Ukraine his people who he knows firsthand cuz they communicate with him andas and other ways and he knows their plight and [Music] May and Hashem will broaden their Agony their SAR very speedily very soon so now he says so if is there if you know the situation of someone you have mercy on them let they they can't give look at the next words nevertheless they're not doing well for their souls MOA Myers you should be memorizing this chapter cuz you're a fundraiser and you need to site this chapter you need to cite this chapter to those people who tell you I don't have I didn't do well you you CH you you pull out from your hat chapter 16 ofes and you don't got and they don't have to be a bober to hear from the balat who wrote so he's an ecumenical Jew superseding the whole issue of them and SN them and all of that and you cite what he says here and what does he say he says I hear that you guys are are in in in desperate situation but it's not good for your soulish cuz I heard that you are squashing your hand you're you're you're you're curling up your hand you're closing your hands which was usually opened in giving from rather you have to give with a a full hand and a good eye for all needs the ones that are necessary I food people say I don't have what to eat I don't have clothes to fill the missing issues of the poor who are like pure poor very very poor says their eyes are dependent on us in Russia you who doesn't have who's suffering but there are poor people who depend on you says and if we in Russia won't have mercy on them God forbid who will have mercy upon them it says in the and your brother will live IM with you meaning it's up to you bro you have an obligation Masha to support now this is very powerful and very important that's very that's very nice but what I do when my own kids go to bed offering and my own house is cold so my own stop I heard you hello hello hello hello helloo you don't says you don't cut off those for your kids you give both you don't cut them off because of your kids and your own self but this is what he's teaching us don't argue with me this is what the balat says let's go further now now this is a rhetorical remark the kazal say the sages say you're life has precedence just like our dear Masha just said says the AL listen to his words because he's talking to you and to me and to all of us did not say that your life has precedence when there's one jug of water in your hand and the water is adequate is is either for your city or the next city so the saying the gar your city and your situation comes first when so both need water for the same exact thing to drink to bring to restore their soul which was thirsty [Music] however but if it's a situation where there's a poor person bread please Bo yourself because of the children sorry one second him and wood vus and clothing they need all these things wood chop wood for furnace and clothing and all that and food all of these things have priority before all of your KN garments and having food for your family of Meat and Fish it's a quote from the that many people say and all delicacy and for his family the saying and teaching of that your life has priority is not applicable in that situation when things are equal water for this and that and the same cities and same situations kazal say your city has priority but if it's a matter of survival for the poor and what's considered luxury or you know better food and better clothing and and all that did not say their life comes first so Masha you have to assess I'm not talking about hello hello Masha pleas is talking about F Foods and find clothes and feasts we're starving we we we don't have a piece of of grel to put to GI to the kids okay right he mentions fine feast and fine clothes and meat fish who's talking about Meat and Fish alter r okay okay Basha so so maybe in your situation in this situation you're describing would apply but in the point being like this listen to this he's he's going to address now the different excuses why I shouldn't give I can't I those that don't have and I used to give them versus my own family my own self my own community and on so the first thing he says that if you if you quote to me the that he says it's not true unless the situation is similar in both situations so in your situation that you're citing if it's the same fine then you're right but obviously knows the people that he's talking about both the that went to V and the and and the community and he knows how starvation was rampant there and they had nothing and in Russia they had a little more that's obviously what he's saying so therefore AB the rule of of of priority for your life and your family comes first doesn't apply that's number one and he says he says the needs the needs over here are not your the actual survival of of of self of Soul compared to the poor person that's act so therefore it's not similar so the whole rule this you have the rule of is when it's equal on equal footing but if it's not an equal footing and one has more than the other just as it is in the community then the rule of a priority giving to yourself first doesn't apply and he quotes as it says in traed okay continuing says this is based on law straight law now he goes further [Music] even a situation that this reason doesn't apply let's say the situation like just said it's suitable for all people it's proper for everyone you shouldn't be so meticulous and particular like a I gave a penny more I gave a dollar more pre force yourself yourself your own life and go inside within within greater than the law go beyond the law and worry about yourself in other words if you're I'm not going to use the word a cheapo because that we're not talking about someone who's a you know inherently a cheapo someone who's magn is good but he has a situation it says if you're going to count the pennies and be a and be an accountant when it comes to giving Saka you're you're you're risking that the by you doing that Hashem will be mtic on you Hashem will be very particular about your stuff and that's not great you don't want that cuz if hasem looks at you like a y say well you didn't do it you deserve you don't deserve this you know what I'm saying so says now forget about for a minute forget about this attitude of being exact and precise and I have only certain amount and I can't give more it causes that if you act that way from on high Hashem will act with you that way you don't want that because we all all need the mercy of Heaven at all times by us arousing ourselves to God and how do we do that how do we how do we enact Mercy from Hashem on us at all times by us showing Mercy those that need mercy and don't have and by giving them so if a person closes his heart and subjugates his Mercy regardless of what the reason is he causes this to be towards him from Heaven Got forb to withhold from him finished so that's says just from a spiritual perspective this this this you know equation I don't have because it's not my budget is a very very unhealthy one and can lead to issues spiritually no physically because if you don't show on others Hashem will not show ra to you that's what it says here the second point he says is can you find anyone amongst people that's a righteous the whole time someone that never committed a sin who's Beyond sin and if that's the case we know giving a tones and protects one from punishment therefore next page SED is the healing of the body Dr is SED is the healing of the Goof the and the healing of the Soul Mish skin for skin it's an expression and whatever a person has he should give for his soul so Dr is saying like this hey guy you're telling me you don't have and you need this and this you can't give more the way you gave before well my dear friend are you a sadic you're not a sadic you've done a virus so your soul has plagues has illness you you want hasem to heal you right you want Hashem to protect you you got to give you got to give beyond what you got to give my family my mother my father you have to give and then you worry about your family and your mother the whole idea Masha of the worrying and the anxiety and the calculations that's what he's saying in this chapter that's why he's the alter that's why we're learning his okay continuing because we are children Believers the children of Believers is only a loan that was given to us give to loan from and you give to the poor hasem gives you when hasem sees that you're taking his loan and you're using the loan the money you make is a loan to us and you're giving it to the poor he pays you sh [Applause] Big Time double the amount you're going to get paid back here on Earth not somewhere else here on Earth you're going to get paid back you hear that there's no reward on earth except for one mitvah so to giving to especially when you don't have and you give you're going to get rewarded for it not you don't have to wait till you get up there but right here because you were magnin and you were good to people pays you back on Earth where people live where you live a k that's Point number two now goes to point number three giving us reasons why we must give you know you can be punished for you have [Music] sins I'm sorry take that back and this is a big this is a big here you only find here in this chapter in t says when other people are giving and you don't give it's cause for you to be punished and other it's not you can't find that when others give I'm obligated to give I don't want to give I don't have to give Dr says wrong wrong in a sense not alic but when others give you join the community MOA this is dynamite for you you're raising funds for an institution and you tell a person you go into says I don't have I can't give you he say my dear friend everyone's giving you need to give so that you are part of the community you can't give as much give a little less but you need to give and people relate to that I can tell you judge with a CL yeah Jud that's right so if the if the claw is giving and you exempt yourself from the CLW says the batan you here you're causing punishment to yourself hasem doesn't like that look what he says as it's known from the and he concludes the chapter to all those that will listen to everything above they'll have sweetness and God will bring upon them the blessing of good in all good things will do good to the good ones and the righteous ones to their soul and says to the soul who means himself who who requests your good peace from every heart and every soul this is a a one and a kind chapter and as you heard Masha masha's reaction is the normal reaction it's not unexpected it's expected and nevertheless the AL says what he says and one will say well I'm not a of the alter Reb I'm a of another Reb I'm a my dear friends this is written for everyone this wasn't yes in in a closed way it was written for his and his people followers both in Russia and but once it was put into the T it becomes and these are three points that he's making there and and if you think about it everyone is in that boat when you go when you go to someone wealthy or not and you ask them for Seda and they give you excuses and I don't mean EX excuse me kakam excuses jerky excuses ridiculous excuses they give you good excuses like what manasha said earlier you site to them what he says here you say let me just take let's learn let's learn a few lines from and if they have any uh you know feeling towards T and then they'll they'll open up have a great day we'll learn tomorrow the next chapter Shalom bye thank you byebye