While one way to promote giving to others generously and willingly may be by understanding the significance of and the benefits from performing such a deed, another way may be by having faith and trust in Hashem.
Our parsha begins with the topic of donations for the construction of the Mishkan. Rav Mordechai Druk derives from the Ba’al HaTurim (on Shemot 26:30) that in order for the Mishkan to be constructed it required that the people have emunah in Hashem and that they know that (as it states in Devarim 4:35) “there is none besides Him.” The question can be asked, why was it necessary for the people to have this faith and knowledge in order for the Mishkan to ultimately be constructed?
Based on Chazal, Rav Druk seems to explain as follows: When one believes that “there is none beside Him,” and that everything that occurs in the world stems from Hashem, and that everything Hashem does is for the best, even if he lacks all his needs and doesn’t have enough, he would still be happy and satisfied with his lot in life. In order for one to donate towards the Mishkan, it was necessary that one be happy with one’s lot in life, for a person who was not satisfied with his lot in life would be miserly (feeling that he himself is lacking and doesn’t have enough), and as a result, would refrain from giving adequately. Hence there was the necessity of the aforementioned emunah in order for the Mishkan to ultimately be constructed (See Drash Mordechai, Shemot 26:30).
Rashi in our parsha (to 25:2) seems to imply that those who contributed to the construction of the Mishkan did so voluntarily with good will. Putting Rashi and Rav Druk’s insights together, perhaps we can learn that emunah can lead to being happy with one’s lot in life (even if it’s less than what meets his needs), which, in turn, enables one to willingly and generously give to others. It’s the aforementioned emunah that may ultimately give way to such philanthropy.
The connection between faith and philanthropy might also be seen from the comments of Rav Shalom Noach Borozevsky who says that “The root of the mitzvah of tzedakah is emunah.” He seems to explain this as follows: In Pirkei Avot it states, “Give Him (Hashem) from His own, for you and [all] that you have are His. And so concerning David it says: ‘For from you is everything, and from Your hand have we given to You.’” Rabbeinu Yonah on this mishna explains that when a person gives, it’s not from that which is his, nor from his body nor from his money, but rather, he gives from that which is Hashem’s — for everything is His. Hence, as Rav Borozevsky seems to say, everything that one has, in truth, is really Hashem’s, and one is simply like the treasurer of that which he has been given by Hashem. This emunah that “you and [all] that you have are His,” wherein a person realizes that in truth, everything he has is given to him by Hashem, teaches us that everything that one gives to others is not his own but rather Hashem’s (See Netivot Shalom, Re’eh, p. 97).
Based on Rav Borozevsky’s insight, we can perhaps suggest that if a person believes that what he maintains in life has been gained from his own efforts and is essentially his own, he might find it more difficult to give, whereas when a person lives with the emunah that “you and [all] that you have are His,” he might find it easier to give willingly and generously since, after all, he understands that all that has is really Hashem’s, and he simply acts like a treasurer to utilize and dispense what he has according to Hashem’s will.
From all the above, we can perhaps learn that the more we increase in our faith in Hashem, the more this may positively impact our philanthropic efforts, enabling us to give to others, willingly, wholeheartedly and generously.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
