As we know, the poor man takes hold of judgement and all his food is judgement, the place that is called Zedek (righteousness). Hence he that gives charity (zedakah) to the poor makes the Holy Name complete as it should be above, since zedakah is the tree of life, and when it gives to Zedek the Holy Name becomes complete. Hence he who sets this activity in motion from below, as it were, fully makes the Holy Name.
It has been stated elsewhere which is the place of the poor man.1Viz. the Shekinah. Why is it so? Because the poor man has not anything of his own, save what is given him, and the moon has no light save what is given her by the sun.
Why is a poor man counted as dead? Because he is found in the place of death.1The Shekmah being called “the tree of death”. Therefore, if one has pity on him and gives him charity, the tree of life rests upon him, as it says, “Zedakah (charity) delivereth from death” (Prov. 10, 2).
This applies only to charity done for its own sake, for then the doer links together zedakah with zedek so that the whole forms the Holy Name, since zedek is not established without zedakah.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ הָכִי הוּא, דְּמִסְכְּנָא אָחִיד בֵּיהּ בְּדִינָא, וְכָל מֵיכְלַיְיהוּ בְּדִינָא הוּא, אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי צֶדֶק, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהלים כב) תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף. תְּפִלָּה, דָּא תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל יַד, וְאוֹקִימְנָא. וּמַאן דְּיָהִיב לֵיהּ צְדָקָה לְמִסְכְּנָא, הוּא עָבִיד לְעֵילָּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא שְׁלִים כְּדְקָא יָאוּת. בְּגִין דִּצְדָקָה דָּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, וּצְדָקָה יָהִיב לְצֶדֶק. וְכַד יָהִיב לְצֶדֶק, כְּדֵין אִתְחַבָּר דָּא בְּדָא, וּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתְּכַח שְׁלִים. מַאן עָבִיד דָּא אִתְּעָרוּתָא (ד"א דעביד אתערותא דא) דִּלְתַּתָּא, וַדַּאי כְּאִלּוּ עָבִיד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּשְׁלִימוּ. כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד לְתַּתָּא, הָכִי אִתְּעַר לְעֵילָּא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (תהילים ק״ו:ג׳) אַשְׁרֵי שׁוֹמְרֵי מִשְׁפָּט עוֹשֵׂה צְדָקָה בְּכָל עֵת. עוֹשֵׂה צְדָקָה, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא עָבִיד לֵיהּ.
As we know, the poor man takes hold of judgement and all his food is judgement, the place that is called Zedek (righteousness). Hence he that gives charity (zedakah) to the poor makes the Holy Name complete as it should be above, since zedakah is the tree of life, and when it gives to Zedek the Holy Name becomes complete. Hence he who sets this activity in motion from below, as it were, fully makes the Holy Name.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מִסְכְּנָא הָא אִתְּמַר מַאן הוּא אַתְרֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּמִסְכְּנָא לָא אִית לֵיהּ מִדִילֵיהּ כְּלוּם, אֶלָּא מַה דְּיָהֲבִין לֵיהּ וְסִיהֲרָא לָא אִית לָהּ נְהוֹרָא מִדִילָהּ, אֶלָּא מַה דְּיָהִיב לָהּ שִׁמְשָׁא.
It has been stated elsewhere which is the place of the poor man.1Viz. the Shekinah. Why is it so? Because the poor man has not anything of his own, save what is given him, and the moon has no light save what is given her by the sun.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אֲמַאי עָנִי חָשׁוּב כַּמֵּת, מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר גָּרִים לֵיהּ, דְּהָא בַּאֲתַר דְּמוֹתָא הוּא שְׁכִיחַ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי מֵת. הַהוּא דְּחָיִיס עָלֵיהּ, הוּא יָהִיב לֵיהּ צְדָקָה, אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (משלי י׳:ב׳) וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוְת. וּכְגַוְונָא דְּעָבִיד בַּר נָשׁ לְתַתָּא, הָכִי נָמֵי עָבִיד לְעֵילָּא מַמָּשׁ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּזָכֵי לְמֶעְבַּד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא לְעֵילָּא, בְּגִין כָּךְ צְדָקָה סָלִיק עַל כֹּלָּא.
Why is a poor man counted as dead? Because he is found in the place of death.1The Shekmah being called “the tree of death”. Therefore, if one has pity on him and gives him charity, the tree of life rests upon him, as it says, “Zedakah (charity) delivereth from death” (Prov. 10, 2).
וְהָנֵי מִלֵי, צְדָקָה לִשְׁמָהּ. דְּהָא אִתְּעַר צְדָקָה לְצֶדֶק, לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן כַּחֲדָא, וּלְמֶהֱוִי כֹּלָּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא יָאוּת. דְּהָא צֶדֶק, לָא אִתְתָּקַּן, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּלִים, אֶלָּא בִּצְדָקָה. דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ״ד:י״ד) בִּצְדָקָה תִּכּוֹנָנִי, וְלִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּמַר, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם וְגוֹ'.
This applies only to charity done for its own sake, for then the doer links together zedakah with zedek so that the whole forms the Holy Name, since zedek is not established without zedakah.’