The power of prayer and tzedaka may take many years to manifest itself, and in the following case, it did, baruch Hashem.
I was a guest of Rabbi and Rebbetzin Eliyahu Shuman on a Shabbos following Purim this past year. Based on the words of Rabbi Asher Weiss in his sefer Minchas Asher, Rabbi Shuman spoke about the connection between Purim and the mitzva of machtzis hashekel. On Purim we traditionally give machtzis hashekel (half a shekel), and in parshas Ki Sisa, it speaks of giving machtzis hashekel when we are counted. In the time of the Bais Hamikdash, the money was used for the korban tamid or anything related to the communal sacrifices of the tzibur in the Bais Hamikdash, or other commumal needs. It was in the merit of this mitzva that the Jews were saved from Haman’s decree.
The Rabbi was pointing out that the ikar (principle) is that the giving of charity is not only required; it also has a special quality about it. The word “machtzis” alludes to this quality. The Hebrew letter tzadi, in the middle of the word, stands for tzedaka, charity. And the letters ches and yud on either side of it, which spell chai, or life, allude to the fact that the giver of tzedaka is protected with life. And life, in turn, protects us from the letters mem and saf, which stand on either side of the ches and yud, and spell mais, or death.
Rabbi Schuman then went on to illustrate how this comes about with the following story, found in Bava Basra, daf yud-alef: It was during the years of famine that Benjamin the Righteous, who was delegated to administer over the community charity fund, was approached by a woman who was desperate for help for her family of eight. She requested money from this fund. Benjamin responded that there was nothing left to distribute. The woman repeated her desperate situation, saying that if she did not receive sustenance, she and her seven sons would perish. Benjamin the Righteous was moved by her plea and provided for her from his own pocket.
His selfless act of charity came back to sustain him as well: Some time passed, and Benjamin lay close to dying. The ministering angels said to Hashem, “Master of the Universe, You have said that one who preserves one Jewish soul is regarded as if he preserved an entire world. Should Benjamin the Righteous, who preserved a woman and her seven sons during a famine, die after these few years on earth!?”
The angels’ convincing words hit home. Immediately, the Heavenly court tore up Benjamin’s decree, and he was spared in the merit of his charity. A second baraisa relates the extent of Benjamin’s reward: It is taught that Hashem added 22 years to his lifetime in the merit of this single act of charity.
Rabbi Shuman then cited the Vilna Gaon, who explained why 22 years was added to his life. With each act of tzedaka, he earned 11 brachos. (The gemara in Bava Basra, daf tes, derives this from a sentence in the book of Yeshayahu.) Since there were eight recipients, the 11 brachos were multiplied by eight to make 88 brachos. In Maseches Sotah, it says that a merit can delay a decree for three months. Thus, 88 merits would delay the decree 264 months, or 22 years.
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It was at this point in Rabbi Shuman’s story that my jaw dropped and the tears flowed. I know there is a reason for everything, and I was searching for a reason why Hashem granted my wife Chava Simcha, z”l, 22 additional years. She was diagnosed many years ago with an advanced stage of lymphoma and was told she had three months to live. She survived 22 years, to the astonishment of her doctor, who always called her his miracle patient. He said he did not understand how her life was restored to the point that she got well enough to cook, clean, shop, drive, and have Shabbos guests every week for years. I told him it was the power of the prayers of my community and myself, and he said that that must be it, because there was no medical reason. It was later that I realized that her survival was through tefila (prayer) and tzedaka (charity), which I will now relate:
When Chava Simcha was diagnosed, I davened and davened that she would survive two years, not just three months. I felt we needed more time together to come to peaceful terms and acceptance. I was hoping that there would be more closure between us and that I could be a better husband. I only asked for two years, because I thought it was more reasonable and not too greedy, under the circumstances.
During this initial period, I was attending Rabbi Mendel Feldman’s, zt”l, Tanya shiur every motzei Shabbos. One night, he related that if one gives charity, that is, puts some money in a pushka, it shows Hashem that you are willing to give to others, and He is thus willing to give to you. So I came home with a pushka for P’tach. When Chava Simcha saw that, she asked why, and I told her what it says in the Tanya. She said P’tach is okay, but what about Bais Chabad and Etz Chaim and Hachnasas Orchim, and Ozer Dalim, etc. The next day she came home with more pushkas, and we ended up with 11. She said I should donate to each one of them before davening. I did.
I am so thankful to have heard Rabbi Shuman’s story, as I now understand the 22 years Hashem granted Chava Simcha. I davened for two years, which Hashem multiplied by 11 because of Chava Simcha’s generosity.
Thank you, Hashem.
