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I have read just now that when one gives Tzedaka and Maaser money, even when they dont have much, sometimes they may end up losing lots of money right after (ie. stock market, car repairs, etc.) and that will be as a Kaparah for them. (Which can make that into a good thing.)
Is that true? I dont have that much money at the moment-i work at a job where i help people every day, and I love that, but it doesnt pay much. However I love to give Tzedakah for the sake of giving. Right after I donated somewhere, when I was driving to do a Chessed, I went over a curb in the dark and busted 2 tires. The next day I found I had to make big repairs on my car besides the tires. I cant say I am perfect in Emunah however this sort of bought me down 🙁
Any thoughts/chizzuk on this? Your opinions are welcome…
I think I heard a speech by Leib Keleman that he said that when you need Hashem the most it feels like He’s not listening to you, it could be the same thing when you give tzedakah that Hashem is testing you regarding why you are giving tzedakah)
I have no source for what I’m about to say, but I think it makes sense. Sometimes, when we do a mitzvah or when we are on are way to do a mitzvah, G-d throws us a curveball, and makes doing the miztvah much more difficult. Perhaps, it’s because He wants to give us more reward for it. That once He sees we are doing a mitzvah, He throws in a few more opportunities (that we sometimes see as obstacles) to get even more mitzvos. Or, it’s because it is a mitzvah that we would do anyway, even if G-d had not commanded it, because it’s a nice thing to do (like giving tzedaka), so G-d wants to see if we are doing it just because it’s nice to do, or because we love G-d, and G-d commanded us to do it, and no matter what obstacle we may face in our way of doing this mitzvah, we will do it anyway to show our loyalty to Him.
Regardless, though, I am sorry you went through all this trouble when trying to do a mitzvah, and I can see how much of a let down it can be. You are doing an amazing thing by giving tzedaka even without having that much money. Stay strong, and may you always have the ability to give tzedaka with a smile!
Photo, maaser money is NOT ours no matter what. So giving tzedaka from maaser money should not be too difficult to do. As long as we understand that the 10% that comes off the top of our income for tzedaka does not belong to us.
As far as Hashem making things difficult for us, I never heard of that, but Life happens. Not everything is a test, somethings just happen. But if it is a test from Hashem then it might be something like… will you feel badly that you just gave your money away and now you need it, or will you realize that it was NOT your money and that had nothing to do with what happened to you. Perhaps had you not given the tzedaka something worse could have happened and the fact that you did give the tzedaka, you only had to buy new tires.
photogenic
The following is a true story:
Years ago there was this frum man who was stabbed by a disgruntled employee. People were horrified and were davening for him as he was taken to the hospital for surgery.
During the surgery, the doctors discovered a malignant cancer. The victim apparently had no symptoms, and the stabbing actually SAVED his life at that time.
What seemed soooo bad was actually so beneficial to him.
Photogenic, you busted 2 tires. The next day you found out that had to make big repairs on my car besides the tires.
Is it possible that those extra repairs, had they not been done, would have rendered your vehicle dangerous to drive?
Could it be that your busted tires actually were the impetus for your going to the mechanic whereby you discovered your car was actually unsafe for you to be driving?
If this is the case, the busted tires were actually a blessing in disguise.
Photogenic
Thank YOU for being open to changing an attitude.
You are living proof that it is possible to achieve an attitude shift in a relatively short time when the desire to do so is there, and this is TRULY inspiring.
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