A few days before Rosh Hashanah 1950, a person wrote to the Rebbe and with a request for guidance on how to live as a Jew. The Rebbe replied by quoting a verse from Isaiah. He then cited a Rabbinic interpretation on that passage. The Rebbe added some commentary of his own and, in conclusion, stated that this one verse sums up the guidance for the entire lifetime of a Jew.
The verse is Isaiah 58:7: “Share your bread with the hungry, and the wretched poor you shall bring home; when you see a naked one, you shall clothe him, and from your flesh you shall not hide.”
Simply put it means to feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and clothe the naked. And, by the way, don’t forget about your own family while you are busy helping others.
While this is spot on guidance for life, and we should all be devoted to these causes, what is uniquely Jewish about this? Shouldn’t people who are not Jewish also be moved to “feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, and clothe the naked?”
To this dish of wholesome living the Rabbis added some spices. Poverty can be understood on many levels. You might think that hunger is for food alone. Teach the Rabbis, that one can be hungry and for the word of G-d. Find a Jew who has not had the benefit of extensive Torah learning and feed them Torah.
You might think that nakedness is merely the absence of physical clothing. Teach the Rabbis, that one can be naked of the soul’s garments, stripped of Mitzvot. Find a Jew that does not lay Tefillin and wrap them on him. Find a Jew that does not wear a Tallit and cover him. Find a Jew that does not have a Mezuzah and put one up with them. Find a Jew that does not light Shabbat candles and help her light them.
You might think that homelessness is solely the lack of shelter. Teach the Rabbis, that one can be homeless of a Synagogue, a community to call home. Find a Jew that does not regularly participate in a community and bring them into your home, your Synagogue to pray and be part of the community.
To this delectable dish of wholesome living the Rebbe added one more flavor. Is poverty limited to one who is aware of one’s lack? Using the above applications of hungry, naked, and homeless, what if one is not aware that they are hungry for the word of G-d? What if one does not know that they are naked of Mitzvot? What if one does not feel the homelessness of being without a Synagogue and a community? Then, the Rebbe emphasized, the poverty is even greater. The compassion one must have for that person is even more expanded. Therefore, the effort to feed, clothe, and shelter such a person must be done with even greater intensity so that they can connect with their true identity.
This is what life is all about.
Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin