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Friday

י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Friday
י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

89 – Bestowing Kindness / Part II, Chapter Ten (a)

Some people refrain from lending money to their fellows because of the trait of stinginess that is within them. This is a very negative trait, for it causes people to withhold giving charity and doing acts of kindness. It also causes the person to suppress their traits of compassion and mercy and he shuts his ears from hearing the cries of the poor.

In general, a person who is miserly completely refrains from the trait of mercy. Instead, he puts all his energies into amassing more possessions for himself, and he will not do anything for anyone else, unless there is some gain in it for himself. The Earlier Authorities have already written about this, stating that the trait of stinginess forms an iron-like barrier between the person and bounty. Because of it the person loses Heavenly mercy, as our Sages said, “Whoever has mercy on people, Heaven has mercy on him, but whoever does not have mercy on people, Heaven does not have mercy on him.”

He has told you, O Man, what is good, and what Hashem asks of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk discreetly with your G-d” (Micha 6:8)