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Hayom Yom 2 Kislev - Importance of giving charity before prayer
Description
אַאַזְמוּ"ר בִּאֵר פַּעַם בְּמַאֲמָר
In the course of a maamar, my revered grandfather, [the Rebbe Maharash,] once commented
הָא דְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר יָהִיב פְּרוּטָה לְעָנִי וְהָדַר מַצְלֵי
on a statement of the Sages: “R. Elazar would give a coin to a poor person and then pray.”
כִּי הֲרֵי הַתְּפִלָּה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת בְּחַיּוּת
[He explained:] “Prayer should be energetic.
וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים צְדָקָה לְעָנִי קוֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה וּמְחַיִּים אוֹתוֹ
Giving tzedakah to a poor person and enlivening him before praying
נִתּוֹסַף חַיּוּת הַרְבֵּה בִּתְּפִלָּה
greatly increases one’s own vitality while praying.”
וְנִעֲנַע בְּיָדוֹ מִמַּטָּה לְמַעְלָה לְרַמֵז שֶׁהָרִבּוּי בְּהַפְלָאָה
And as my grandfather said these last words he waved his hands upward, to indicate a truly wondrous increase.
וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים קוֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה הָיָה אַאַמוּ"ר מְחַזֵּר אַחֲרֵי עָנִי לִתֵּן לוֹ לֶאֱכוֹל
Before my father, [the Rebbe Rashab,] began to daven, he would often search for a poor person to whom to give something to eat.
Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English