24 Elul 5784

Rabbi Gary J Robuck

ACT Jewish Community

A single gold coin …

“Good character traits do not come to a person by virtue of the greatness of a deed, but rather by the frequency with which he performs it.” (Rambam)

In 5785, a single gold coin can make a world of difference.

In cities large and small around the world, there are those living hard, sleeping on footpaths, lining up for food relief and weaving through cars idling at busy intersections offering to clean motorists’ windscreens.  Increasingly, however, those to whom they appeal for some measure of help, all of us who, for example, venture out in the morning with only our phones (Apple Pay) or a wallet filled with credit cards, are without the means to do so.  We aren’t carrying cash.

Increasingly, societies are becoming cashless.  What was thought to be an inevitability only in future generations, has come along much faster, in part, due to Covid-19.

This condition is fraught.  The harm caused to those who rely upon our kindness but do not receive it, no matter how our hearts may be inclined, is obvious. Good intentions do not fill the belly. Instead, more go to sleep hungry, or hopeless, or cold. Clearly, homelessness and hunger are not remedied by a small, spontaneous act of generosity. They are, however, momentarily relieved. Giving a gold coin, or a $5 note, sharing a blessing or a kind word, help to raise the eyes and lift the spirit of one doing it tough and can contribute to preserving the dignity of an individual created like us, in the image of God.

If character is created through one’s habits and behaviour, the regular turning aside from the appeals issuing from those needing our help threaten to coarsen us and to impact negatively upon the empathy we feel towards others. Conversely, giving tzedakah consistently and generously when asked, even in small amounts, can both draw us closer to all those who, like us, are created in God’s image, while at the same time, making us more human.

In the New Year, I invite you to join me in my resolve to always carry a gold coin or two in my pocket.  In this way, we can bring relief to others and at the same time strengthen the charitable muscle within us.