We pray every week for

the leaders of the Jewish

Ministry,
Shabbat - Ki-Tetze
aExEt_yI;k
News
597
6 Se p t e mb e r / 11 El l u l
2 0 1 4 / 5 7 7 4
We e k l y
J e wi s h - Ad v e n t i s t
J o u r n a l
o f I n f o r ma t i o n
Global Mission Centers Meetings
i Every year the Director of Global
Mission Centers meet in order to share the
progress of their ministry during the last 12
months, and also to learn more about missi-
ology and how to improve their ministries.
Twenty fve to thirty people participate to
these meetings, they are the General Secre-
tary of the General Conference, one of the
General Conferences Vice-President, the
teams of Te General Conferences Adven-
tist Mission, and the World Mission Insti-
tute and also the professors of the Mission
department at Andrews University.
Richard Elofer, Director of the Global
Mission Jewish Center will participate to
this meeting, it will be held in Trinidad and
Tabago from September 8 to 14. It is also a
very good time to show to the General Con-
ference leaders the Jewish ministry by dif-
ferent reports and presentations. A Mission
Conference will be held on September 12-
13 at the University of Southern Caribbean
(USC) Where Richard Elofer will present
the topic: Why dont Jews believe in Jesus.
Next Celebrations
i As soon as we reach the month of
September all the Jewish people start to
think about the next celebrations which
are certainly the most important celebra-
tions for the Jewish people. September is
the month of the New Year, but for Jews
New Year celebration which is called in
Hebrew Rosh Hashana is not synonym of
excess of drinking and eating but fasting,
praying, introspection, repentance, and
preparation for the great day of the judg-
ment, which will be Yom Kippur.
Indeed 9 days after Rosh Hashana is
the special day of Yom Kippur, which is
a day that has been established on the day
G-d forgave Israel for the Golden Calf in
the wilderness, the day of Yom Kippur is
therefore the day of judgment, but also of
forgiveness and G-ds kindness who could
destroy Israel but forgave them.
Tat is why fve days after Yom Kippur, the
great feast of joy and rejoicing, Tabernacle
Feast or Succoth starts. It is seven days of feast
and joy when Israel remember their dwelling
in the wilderness. It is a thanksgiving feasts
when all the agricultural kibbutzim in Israel
rejoice for the harvest of fruits and vegetables.
Are you prepared for these Jewish celebra-
tions? Are you prepared to rejoice with your
Jewish friends? It is time to say to them Sha-
na Tova, which means Happy New Year.
Rosh Hashana: September 25-26
Yom Kippur: October 4
Tabernacle Feast: October 9-15
But that is not all, the Jewish people will
rejoice also for the end of Torah Reading,
that is at the end of the Tabernacle Feast in
October, We will come back to that later.
This issue
News P. 1
Par asha s comment s P. 2- 4
Haf t ar a P. 4- 5
Apost ol i c Wr i t i ngs P. 5
St or i es P. 6
I nspi r at i onal Cor ner P. 6, 7
Col or Sheet f or Ki ds P. 7
Resources:
Website: https://jewishadventist-org.gcnetadventist.org
A must website. To subscribe to our newsletter. To download some resources (Hebrew Sabbath School,
and other documents). To order the book Comfort, Comfort my people and many other things.
Shalom Adventure Magazine online: www.ShalomAdventure.com
If you would like to read articles, watch videos, learn things about Judaism and Israel, this website is just
for you.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/World-Jewish-Adventist-Friendship-Center:
If you would like to share with people, this forum on facebook is a good place for that.
Photos on Google+: http://picasaweb.google.com/jewishadventist: We have posted a lot of
pictures on Internet during the last years. Dont hesitate to look at them.
WebRadio: www.shema-israel-radio.com
If you would like to listen Jewish or Messianic songs. If you want to be used to ear modern Hebrew of the
Apostolic Writings, it is the right radio to listen on the web.
Adventist Mission Website: https://jewish-adventistmission-org.lifehopecenters.org/ Tis
website is the new resource provided by the Ofce of Adventist Mission of the General Conference of
the Seventh-day Adventists.
Russian Website: http://www.boruh.info/ Tis website is in Russian, many articles and the
parasha are posted on it every week.
Professional Urban
Development:
The WJAFC provides:
- Professional Urban
training for Jewish
Ministry
- Teaching for
theological students
- Help to plant new
congregations.
- Support for Adventist-
Jewish dialogue with
scholars and rabbis
Journal of Information and Training Issue 597 6 September 2 0 1 4 / 11 El l u l 5 7 7 4
We pray every
week for lead-
ers of the
Jewish Ministry,
According to
our list of prayer
for 2014, I sug-
gest that our
partners pray
from September
7-13, for Joseph
du Mesnil
dEngente,
and Jean-Pierre
Melo who are
the leaders
of the Jewish
Adventist minis-
try in Paris, Lets
pray for their
ministries.
WJAFC
Par i s
A weekly Journal of information and training published by the
World Jewish Adventist Friendship Center
Under the umbrella of the
General Conference Ofce of Adventist Mission
English Edition:
Richard-Amram Elofer
Russian Edition:
Alexandra Obrevko
Dutch Edition:
Hubert Paulleta
French Edition:
Sabine Baris
Emails:
English: richard@elofer.com
Russian: sashok_l@mail.ru
French: sabinebaris@gmail.com
Spanish: jael_wells@hotmail.com
Portuguese: cdmuniz@gmail.com
Dutch: hpauletta@hotmail.com
Richard Amram Elofer
Hubert Paulleta
Sabine Baris
Alexandra Obrevko
for more information: contact us at www.jewishadventist.org
Credit photos:
Richard Elofer, Alexandra Obrevko,
Hubert Paulleta, Laurent Baris and Advent Digital Media
8
S h a b b a t S h a l o m N e ws l e t t e r
Yisrael are not to make
vows.
A worker may eat of the
fruit he is harvesting.
Divorce and marriage
are legislated. For the
frst year of marriage, a
husband is exempt from
the army and stays home
to make rejoice with his
wife. Tools of labor may
not be impounded, as
this prevents the debtor
from earning a living. Te
penalty for kidnapping for
proft is death. Removal
of the signs of the dis-
ease tzaraat is forbidden.
Even for an overdue loan,
the creditor must return
the collateral daily if the
debtor needs it. Workers
pay must not be delayed.
Te guilty may not be
subjugated by punishing
an innocent relative. Be-
cause of their vulnerability,
converts and orphans have
special rights of protec-
tion. Te poor are to have
a portion of the harvest.
A court may impose
lashes. An ox must not
be muzzled while thresh-
ing. It is a mitzvah for a
man to marry his brothers
widow if the deceased left
no ofspring.
Weights and measures
must be accurate and used
honestly. Te parasha con-
cludes with the mitzvah to
erase the name of Amalek,
for, in spite of knowing
about the Exodus, they
ambushed the People of
Israel.
74 Mitzvot
I
n this parasha we fnd
more mitzvot (com-
mandments) than in
any other portion of the
Torah. Seventy-four mitz-
voth are given in this para-
sha. Tese Mitzvot fall into
two categories; bein adam
lachaveiro (between one
person and another person),
and the mitzvot which are
bein adam lamakom (be-
tween us and G-d), How-
ever, most of the mitzvot
in this Parasha concern be-
havior between people.
Unity of G-ds
People
T
he name of the
Parasha, Ki Tetzei
When you go
out to war (Deuteronomy
21:10) is written in the sin-
gular as if the Torah speaks
to a single person going to
battle. Our prophets tell
us in the Bible that King
Achav and the people of
that time sinned by wor-
shipping idols, which is a
very grave sin. Yet when
they went to war, they were
victorious because they dis-
played a great level of unity.
returning a lost object in
its spiritual form refers
to Teshuvah repentance.
Tis is especially signif-
cant in the month of El-
lul (the last month of the
Jewish year), for Ellul is
the month of Teshuvah in
which we must return to
G-d and ask him to restore
us to our original form of
holiness and purity. Tat
is the Jewish concept of
Justifcation by faith, G-d
has the power to restore
us to our original holiness
and purity, the one he gave
originally to Adam. It is
really like if we had never
sinned. Praise the L-rd for
his kindness to us.
If, when ones donkey
has gone astray we must
help, how much more so
we must help when we
see a person gone astray
spiritually. Te Torah con-
tinue: You shall not see
your brothers donkey or
his ox fallen down by the
way and ignore them. You
shall help him to lift them
up again. (Deuteronomy
22:4) If it is a mitzvah to
help when a donkey who
fell under its heavy load,
how much more so when
a person needs help and a
lifting hand physically or
spiritually.
One of the sages noticed
that the mitzvah of Ahavat
Yisrael love your neighbor
as yourself also applies to
oneself. One must love
and consider his personal
spiritual needs (yourself)
and answer to it. Te same
applies if we see our neigh-
bor who is spiritually lost,
that we must help him,
in the spirit of Hashavat
Aveidah lost object to re-
turn to the correct path.
Mother Bird
and Long Life
T
he Torah states, If
you come across a
birds nest in any tree
or on the ground, with young
ones or eggs and the mother
sitting on the young or on
the eggs, you shall not take
the mother with the young.
(Deuteronomy 22:6).
We can draw several les-
son from this mitzvah. Te
environmental aspect of this
mitzvah is obvious, if human
beings had followed this rule
during the last centuries, we
would not have extinguished
so many species of animals
in the world. Only Jews fol-
lowed this rule and it was not
enough to save them from ex-
tinction.
However, there is more in
this law, Rabbi Yosef Chaim
Zonnenfeld asked, Can a
person catch a bird once it is
fying? Of course not! How-
ever, there are mother birds
who are so concerned about
the welfare of their children
that they stay with them
and do not leave them alone
when a hunter comes along.
Because of her devotion, the
mother bird falls right into the
hands of the hunter. It turns
out that the hunter would
want to take advantage of the
mothers compassion for her
children. Terefore, the Torah
orders a person to send away
the mother. One has no right
to utilize her positive trait of
mercy in order to capture her.
All the more so, we should
not try to take advantage of
another person just because he
is softhearted. Tere are peo-
ple who are very compassion-
ate and whenever they hear
that someone has a difculty,
they do whatever they can to
help. In monetary matters
they do not like to argue or
quarrel and easily give in to
Parasha for
this Week
Ki-Tetze
aExEt_yI;k
Deuteronomy
21:10-25:19
If you come across a birds
nest in any tree or on the
ground, with young ones
or eggs and the mother sit-
ting on the young or on the
eggs, you shall not take the
mother with the young.
(Deuteronomy 22:6).
2 3
Parasha
Overview
Ki-Tetze
T
he Torah describes
the only permis-
sible way a woman
captured in battle may be
married. If a man marries
two wives, and the less-
favored wife bears a frstborn
son, this sons right to inherit
a double portion is protected
against the fathers desire to
favor the child of the favored
wife.
Te penalty for a rebel-
lious son, who will inevitably
degenerate into a monstrous
criminal, is stoning.
A body must not be left
on the gallows overnight,
because it had housed a holy
soul.
Lost property must be
return. Men are forbidden
from wearing womens cloth-
ing and vice versa.
A mother bird may not be
taken together with her eggs.
A fence must be built around
the roof of a house. It is
forbidden to plant a mixture
of seeds, to plow with an ox
and a donkey together, or to
combine wool and linen in
a garment. A four-cornered
garment must have twisted
threads tzitzit on its corners.
Laws regarding illicit rela-
tionships are detailed.
When Israel goes to war,
the camp must be governed
by rules of spiritual purity.
An escaped slave must not
be returned to his master.
Taking interest for lending
to a Jew is forbidden. Bnei
Ki Teitzei in the singular
hints to the secret of victory,
which can come only when
G-ds people are united as
one person.
On the same line of thought
the Arizal, a great Kabbal-
ist, noted also the singular
person of the verb Ki-Tetze
When you go out to war
is singular in Hebrew, but
Your enemies is plural.
Ten the Torah reverts to the
singular regarding the enemy
give him Netato instead of
writing give them, and
this is not a grammatical
mistake. Te Arizal explains:
Te Torah is telling us that
if we have unity and are as
one when we go out against
our enemies, then even
though our enemies are very
numerous, you will be victo-
rious as easily as if they were
just one.
Te importance of unity
for accomplishment applies
not only during times of war
against an enemy. It is just
as necessary during times of
peace. When a group of peo-
ple will work on any project
with a spirit of togetherness,
they will accomplish much
more than if they would each
be doing things as separate
individuals.
Returning
Lost Objects
O
ne of the mitzvot
in this weeks Para-
sha is the mitzvah
of Hashavat Aveidah re-
turning a lost object to its
rightful owner, indeed the
Torah states: You shall not
see your brothers ox or his
sheep going astray and ig-
nore them. You shall take
them back to your brother.
And if he does not live near
you and you do not know
who he is, you shall bring
it home to your house, and
it shall stay with you until
your brother seeks it. Ten
you shall restore it to him.
And you shall do the same
with his donkey or with
his garment, or with any
lost thing of your brothers,
which he loses and you
fnd; you may not ignore it.
(Deuteronomy 22:13).
In the Parasha we see a
connection between the
mitzvot toward each other
and toward G-d. Dealings
with others and our com-
mitment to G-d go hand
in hand. One should make
Mitzvot their business and
their business into a mitz-
vah! Hashavat Aveidah
Haftara
Isaiah 54:1-10
T
his Shabbat is the
fourth Shabbat af-
ter Tisha BAv. We
are in a period called Shiva
DnechemtaSeven weeks
of comfort. The seven Haf-
tarot of the weeks between
Tisha Bav and Rosh Hasha-
na are prophesies of comfort
and hope for Israel and Gods
people at large.
Haftara: This text is a very
special text of comfort since
the first verse is not clear for
everyone. In this text God is
speaking about two wives; the
first one is the desolated (di-
vorced) wife and the second
one is still married. Sing, O
barren one who did not bear;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in
labor! For the children of the
desolate woman will be more
than the children of her that
is married, says the LORD
(Is. 54:1). The Brit Hacha-
dasha has clearly identified
these two women as Sarah
and Hagar. Now this is an
allegory: these women are
two covenants. One woman,
in fact, is Hagar, from Mount
Sinai, . . . But the other wom-
an corresponds to the Jerusa-
lem above; she is free, and she
is our mother (Gal 4:24, 26).
The desolated wife, Hagar,
represents Israel and the mar-
ried wife, Sarah, represents
the kehila (church). However,
in the text of Isaiah there are
more blessings for the deso-
lated (Hagar or Israel) than
for the married (Sara, the ke-
hila) For the children of the
desolate woman will be more
than the children of her that
is married (Is 54:1). The text
then continues to comfort
the desolate woman: Do
not fear, for you will not be
ashamed; do not be discour-
aged, for you will not suffer
disgrace; for you will forget
the shame of your youth, .
. . For your Maker is your
husband, . . . the Holy One
of Israel is your Redeemer
. . . For a brief moment I
abandoned you, but with
great compassion I will
gather you. . . . . but with
everlasting love I will have
compassion on you, says the
LORD, your Redeemer
(Is 54:2-8). G-d continues
to love His people, as com-
pared with Hagar, who al-
though Abraham divorced
her, he continued to love
her and she was taken back,
according to Jewish tradi-
tion, as Ketura. This means
that for Israel, God has
not cancelled His covenant
with His historical people,
even though He opened
His arms to the Gentiles in
the kehila, My covenant of
peace shall not be removed,
says the LORD, who has
compassion on you. . . .
All your children shall be
taught by the LORD, and
great shall be the prosperity
of your children. In righ-
teousness you shall be es-
tablished (10-13).
the demands and requests of
others. Do not utilize their
good heart to take advantage
of them in either fnancial
matters or in taking up their
time and energy by asking
them to do things that you
would not ask others to do.
Te torah continues You
shall let the mother go, but
the young you may take for
yourself, that it may go well
with you, and that you may
live long. (Deuteronomy
22:7) Why does the Torah
promise a good and long life
for fulflling this mitzvah
(commandment)? Te Ram-
ban (Moshe Nachmanides)
explains that this mitzvah
will implant in a person the
attribute of empathy and
compassion. Acting in a
compassionate manner will
enable you to feel empathy.
Te Ksav Sofer (Rabbi
Avraham Shmuel Sofer)
notes that the Sages in the
Talmud (Pesachim 113b)
teach that three kinds of
people are not considered as
really living: (1) those with
a too strong degree of com-
passion, (2) those who con-
stantly become angry, and
(3) those who are fnicky.
Rabbi Sofer says: When
someone empathizes strongly
with the pain and sufering
of others, he will sufer him-
self whenever he hears about
the sufering of others, espe-
cially when he is unable to
do anything to alleviate the
other persons sufering, as is
frequently the case. Tere-
fore, after the Almighty com-
mands us to have compas-
sion on birds in order that we
should grow in this trait, He
guarantees that through this
we will still live a good and
long life. For many years you
will be able to help a larger
number of people and this
will increase your days in-
stead of shortening them. Te
more you feel for others, the
more elevated you become
About the reward of long
life Te Jewish rabbis have
discussed a lot about re-
wards for keeping the mitz-
vot. As disciples of Yeshua we
know that we are not justifed
by keeping the mitzvot. Even
the best of our efort is yet
marked by our sinful nature.
Commenting on this verse
it is said Tere is no reward
for mitzvot in this world.Te
Guemara then relates a story
of a person who died while
sending away the mother bird
at the behest of his father,
thus performing both mitz-
vot, which should have given
him long life. Where was this
persons long life? Rather,
these promises refer to days
which are eternally long in the
Olam Haba, (world to come).
(Kiddushin 39b). Our justif-
cation and our rewards come
from God and Mashiach not
because of any mitzvot we
could perform. Rabbi Shaul
said We maintain therefore
that a man is justifed by faith
apart from the works of the
Torah. (Romans 3:28). How-
ever this afrmation does not
mean denying the mitzvot but
to confrm them, Rabbi Shaul
continues: Do we then nul-
lify the Torah through faith?
May it never be! No, we es-
tablish the Torah. (31). Ye-
shua confrmed: Dont think
that I came to destroy the To-
rah or the Prophets. I didnt
come to destroy, but to fulfll.
For most assuredly, I tell you,
until heaven and earth pass
away, not even one Yod or a
stroke shall in any way pass
away from the Torah, until
all things are accomplished.
(Matthew 5:17-18). Ten it is
clear that those who believe in
Yeshua have to follow the To-
rah, e fulfllment of the Torah
does not mean to cancel it but
to see how Yeshua was the ul-
timate accomplishment of the
Torah.
I
n parasha Ki-Tetse, our
sages have insisted on the
unity of G-ds people.
Ki-tetse, means when you
go out, in this case for war
(Deut 21:10), even though
people go to war in group, as
an army, the text use the sin-
gular form of the verb, this to
indicate that the war was the
responsibility of each member
of G-ds people, and victory
can be obtained only if they
all go as one, in unity.
G-d sent his people in the
ancient time to war, they had
to conquer the Promise Land,
the Land of Canaan, today
we are not living in the same
time, but there is still a war to
win, the war against the en-
emy of G-d and His people,
the evil or Satan. G-ds people
must have the same spirit of
unity in order to win this war
against the evil. It is a war for
everyone, each member of G-
ds people has be aware and
involved in this war. And G-
ds people can be victorious
over this war only if they go to
it in great unity, as one person.
Tat is why Yeshua prayed
for the unity of G-ds people.
Just before giving his life for
everyone, he celebrated the
Seder of Passover, and at the
end of the meal, while he
knew that this hour was the
last one with the talmidim,
he prayed for them about his
main concern for the future,
unity of his disciples. Te
frst verse of Yochanan 17 says:
When Jesus had spoken these
words, he lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and said: (John 17:1),
he wanted to present some re-
quests to G-d, his father who
was in heaven, he said: I am
praying for them. I am not
praying for the world but for
those whom you have given
me, for they are yours. (John
17:9). Yeshua knew that it was
the last moment he was with
his disciples, on that night, at
midnight he will be arrested,
put in trial and will die the
next day. He continues: And
I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world, and
I am coming to you. Holy
Father, (John 17:11a) and
keep them in your name,
which you have given me, that
they may be one, even as we
are one. (John 17:11b). Even
though they will be guarded
by G-d, they will not be safe
in the world because of the
presence of the evil, I do not
ask that you take them out of
the world, but that you keep
them from the evil one. (John
17:15). As long as they belong
to the Mashiach they are kept
in this world, and even more,
they dont belong anymore to
this world Tey are not of
the world, just as I am not of
the world. (John 17:16) Tis
prayer of Yeshua is not only for
the disciples of his time, but
for everyone who will believe
in the next centuries: I do not
ask for these only, but also for
those who will believe in me
through their word, (John
17:20), Yeshua prayed for each
one of us, even though we are
living two thousand years af-
ter. And the heart of his prayer
for the believers is that they
may all be one, just as you, Fa-
ther, are in me, and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. (John
17:21) Yeshua is one with the
father, and in the father, his
prayer is that we also be one
with him and the father, in
him and the father. Tat is
the best testimony we can
give to the world. Te world
will believe in Yeshua as the
Mashiach sent by G-d only
when we are all united as one.
Te glory that you have given
me I have given to them, that
they may be one even as we are
one, I in them and you in me,
that they may become perfect-
ly one, so that the world may
know that you sent me and
loved them even as you loved
me. (John 17:2223). Tat is
the secret of a victorious life in
Yeshua, to be one, all together.
And you shall do the same
with his donkey or with
his garment, or with any
lost thing of your brothers,
which he loses and you
fnd; you may not ignore
it. (Deuteronomy 22:13).
Apostolic Writings Yochanan (John) 17
4 5
C
r
e
d
i
t
:

D
i
m
d
i
m
a
.
c
o
m
Inspirational
Corner
v G-ds word sanc-
tions no policy that will
enrich one class by the
oppression and sufer-
ing of another. In all
our business transac-
tions it teaches us to put
ourselves in the place
of those with whom we
are dealing, to look not
only on our own things,
but also on the things of
others. Tose who would
take advantage of anoth-
ers misfortunes in order
to beneft themselves, or
who seek to proft them-
selves through anothers
weakness or incompe-
tence, are transgressors
both of the principles
and of the precepts of the
Word of G-d. (BLJ 168)
Inspirational
Corner
v Tus G-d
commanded his
people not to
take advantage of
the necessities of
the poor, to en-
rich themselves
by impoverish-
ing their poorer
brethren (Deuter-
onomy 23:19-20).
Of Gentiles they
might take usury;
but they were not
permitted to be
exorbitant or op-
pressive. G-d is the
rightful king of the
universe. And he
inquires of Israel,
What nation is
there so great,
that hath statutes
and judgments so
righteous as all
this law, which I
set before you this
day? Today he
might make the
same challenge.
Te laws he gave
to his people were
wiser, better, and
more humane than
those of the most
civilized nations
of the earth. (ST
February 7, 1884)
A Thief
S
am the thief, as he was
called by everyone in
town, came to the rabbi
one day during the month of
Ellul. Rabbi, I found a wallet
full of money. I would like you
to help me locate the owner so I
can return the wallet and per-
form the mitzvah of returning a
lost object to its rightful owner.
Te rabbi, a bit surprised, yet
impressed to see Sam improve
his ways, assured him that he
will make an announcement in
synagogue so Sam will be able
to return the wallet and perform
this very important mitzvah.
A little while after Sam left,
the rabbi discovered that his
watch was missing. He imme-
diately sent for Sam and sure
enough, he had it in his pocket.
I cant fgure you out! said
the rabbi. First you come to re-
turn a lost wallet and then you
steal my watch! I dont under-
stand you at all!
Whats there to understand?
answered Sam. When it comes
to returning a lost object thats a
mitzvah. But when it comes to
stealing, thats business.
Returning
lost Objects
T
he Talmudic sage Rabbi
Chanina ben Dosa was
extremely careful with
the mitzvah of returning lost
objects.
A person forgot some chick-
ens near Rabbi Chaninas
house. Rabbi Chanina took
care of them. Although he was
very poor, he didnt allow his
family to eat the eggs or the
chickens. Rabbi Chanina was
waiting for the person to come
and claim them.
As time passed the chickens
multiplied so greatly that it was
impossible for Rabbi Chanina
to keep them. He then sold the
chickens and bought goats in-
stead.
One day, Rabbi Chanina saw
a stranger in front of his house.
Te stranger mentioned that
many years ago, he had left a
few chickens near the house.
When Rabbi Chanina was con-
vinced that this person was the
true owner of the chickens, he
took him into the yard, and to
the strangers surprise, said All
these goats are yours. Tey
came from your chickens!
Hashavat Aveidahreturn-
ing a lost object in its spiritual
form refers to Teshuvah (repen-
tance), and the mitzvah of Aha-
vat Yisrael Love for your fellow
brother.
Charity
O
ne Rosh Hashana
(Trumpets Feast and
Jewish new year day)
night, the great Talmudic Sage,
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, had
a dream. In the dream, he saw
that his nephews would have
to pay 600 golden dinars to the
tax collectors. Rabbi Shimon,
wanting to save them this ag-
gravation, sent charity collec-
tors to ask his nephews to con-
tribute more charity than usual
throughout the year.
Why do you want us to give
more charity this year than
usual? they questioned him.
Rabbi Shimon answered, If one
doesnt give willingly to the right
things, he ends up having to give
forcibly for the wrong things.
At the end of the year, a special
military tax was imposed on the
people of that city. Rabbi Shi-
mons nephews, being wealthy
people, were assessed 600 gold-
en dinars. When they refused to
pay this large amount, they were
thrown in jail.
Rabbi Shimon heard what
happened and ordered his neph-
ews records of charitable dona-
tions be brought to him. Upon
calculating how much charity
they gave, he realized that they
were 6 dinars short of the sum
of 600.
Bring me six dinars, said
Rabbi Shimon, and with G-ds
help, everything will be in or-
der.
But they want 600 dinars!
What good will six dinars do?
But Rabbi Shimon urged them
to do as he said.
With the six dinars in his hand
he went to the tax collector and
succeeded in persuading him to
take the six dinars and free his
nephews. Only then did Rabbi
Shimon tell his relatives of his
Rosh Hashana dream. Had
you given the full 600 dinars for
charity, you wouldnt have had
to go through all this misery,
Rabbi Shimon told them.
If you knew this all along,
why didnt you tell us? We
would have gladly given the 600
dinars for charity! they com-
plained.
Had I told you about my
dream in the beginning of the
year, all the charity you gave
during the year would have been
for selfsh reasons. In that case,
the mitzvah wouldnt have been
performed to its fullest, an-
swered Rabbi Shimon..
If you go into your neighbors vineyard, you may eat your fll of grapes, as many as
you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbors stand-
ing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your
neighbors standing grain. (Deuteronomy 23:2425)
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Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19