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Emor(Leviticus 21-24)
The Anonymous Gift
In this week's Torah portion, God instructs the owners of fields that:
"When you reap the harvest from your land, you shall not remove ... the corners of your field... For the poor ... shall you leave them ..." (Lev. 23:23)
A LIFE LESSON
God tells the Jewish people that they need to a leave a corner of their fields unharvested to allow the poor to come and take from it. God doesn't tell them to give some of their crops to the poor, but rather they should leave them some of their crops. The difference, although seemingly insignificant, is actually quite powerful.
When someone in need has to take from someone else, this not only takes courage but can also be quite embarrassing. God created all of us with an immense feeling of pleasure when we're able to be self-sufficient.
There are times when we all need help from someone else of one kind or another. But the want and thirst not to be completely dependent upon someone else for our basic needs are innate within all of us.
In an effort to allow the receiver of the crops not to feel ashamed, God tells the owner of the field to leave the crops. This way, perhaps in the middle of the night, the one who's in need can simply take without any embarrassment. To be able to pick up the crops with no one seeing him is an effort to lessen the receiver's emotional pain of knowing that at this moment he is dependent upon someone else for life's necessities.
What if you don't have a field in which to leave your crops? Today most people aren't farmers and the Torah is also an instruction guide for living in modern times. So, what lesson does this come to teach us?
Perhaps it's sometimes to give to others without ever letting them or anyone ever know that it was you who gave. To give anonymously to someone powerfully demonstrates that your motives are totally altruistic and you seek nothing in return expect for knowing that you helped someone in need.
The more you can give without the receiver ever knowing who you are, the more you'll be giving for the right reasons. It will be all about them and not about you. It won't be for the sake of an award, gratitude, or to see you name in lights. Rather, you'll be giving because you know that God simply "decided" that you should, as opposed to the one who's now in need. You're merely God's "go-between" to leave for others some of what God so graciously gave to you.
Giving in this way not only ensures that the recipient won't be embarrassed, but it also gets you completely in touch with the true and only source of all your possessions. And when you do this, you prepare yourself to receive God's blessing always to be an agent to give.
(2) JLG , May 9, 2009
INCREDIBLE
What an incredible concept - it is so relevant, because many times in our society, we expect that if we do a good deed such as giving charity, the person on the other end will give us a pat on the back and that recognition will make our day. Little do we ever realize that many a time, the person on the receiving end of the good deed does not really want to take (because of the drive to be indepdendent), and they don't really want to be in the public eye. It is a matter of respect -giving them the respect they deserve. Fantastic insight Mr. Lieberman, something that I will keep with me for a very long time.
(1) nina kotek , May 11, 2007
another point
I think one important point is not adressed here-the farmer is not required to harvest the edges of the field and deliver them to the poor at night-the equivalent of boxed food; he is merely required to leave some "self-rewarding" work for whomever is willing to do it. The poor person does not get unearned charity, but has to be willing to work for it, like mowing the lawn for $10. This is also a higher level of Tzedakah, which leaves the recipient with more self-respect.