The Significance of Tzedakah (giving charity) on Yom Kippur
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True, inspiring story for us as we lead up to Yom Kippur...
Years ago, a man was traveling to fundraise for the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva. He went and stayed with a community for Shabbat and on Shabbat day he got up and spoke and told everyone why he was visiting the community, and about the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva.
On Sunday morning when the men went to pray at the beit knesset (synagogue), they saw the fundraiser and came over to give him their donations. Seeing this, one man came over privately and asked what this was all about. "Didn't you hear my talk over Shabbat?" the fundraiser asked. "No, I didn't, I was sick and had to stay home," the man replied. So the fundraiser explained how he was visiting to collect funds to help the Chofetz Chaim yeshiva (where men go to learn Torah), what a worthy cause it was, etc.
The man listened and said, "I really want to give too. But...I can't do it like everyone else. I am not well. I have very little money to live on. I was going to get food for myself today but instead I will fast so that I can give that money as a donation." The man gave the fundraiser a small bill for what he would have spent for the day on food.
When the fundraiser returned back to the Chofetz Chaim, he told him all about this story and how this man had not eaten for the day just to be a part of the mitzvah of giving to the yeshiva. The Chofetz Chaim asked, "Which bill was his?" The man showed him and the Chofetz Chaim took the bill and responded, "This money is so holy, I'm not going to use it. The amount he gave is not what is important. What matters MOST is the genuine intent he had--the level of sacrifice he put into giving what he had."
Therefore, it's not the amount of money a person gives, but how much of his heart went into giving that matters the most.
I heard this touching story during a Halacha class given by our Rav and was moved to share it. This story is an example of how Tzedakah (giving charity) has the power to bring us to that highest state of innocence--giving of ourselves with our whole heart. This is the kindness that emulates Hashem (God). And this is why Tzedakah is one of the 3 things we intently focus on after Rosh Hashanah (besides prayer and repentance) leading up to Yom Kippur, in order to return us to our most optimal, most humble self. Because where there is kindness, there is always humility.
