The Yerushalmi tzadik Rav Yehudah (‘Reb Yudel’) Holtzman was a beloved, humble, quiet, and unassuming talmid chacham and ba’al tzedakah. One afternoon, a Jew knocked at Reb Yudel’s door, collecting tzedakah for a needy choleh, a local resident suffering from serious illness. The fellow required an emergency operation which cost 60 pounds—an enormous sum in those days of pre-state Eretz Yisrael.
Reb Yudel was broken-hearted. “What can I do?” he sighed. “There is no money left in our account, and I have already overextended myself to creditors borrowing against my future wages for other tzedakah projects… I have taken on so much debt, that l’tzaari, unfortunately I am not able to borrow anymore.” The collector understood, appreciated the Rav’s sincerity, and left graciously.
Just a few moments later, Reb Yudel came running after the meshulach. Out of breath, he cried, “Wait, I have an idea! Please go right away to the central gemach (free loan association) and borrow the full sum in my name; b’ezras Hashem, I will pay back half a shilling every week. I just realized that we spend about half a shilling each week to buy wine for kiddush—but halachah permits making kiddush over bread. If I make kiddush on challah each Shabbos, it will cover the extra money to repay the loan! And may the choleh have a successful operation and be gezunt!”
“But Rabbi, my intention was not to make your family’s situation more difficult, please don’t worry!”
“Reb Yid. His operation is an urgent matter! You must not waste even one more hour going door to door collecting a pound here and a pound there. Pikuach nefesh, immediately saving this man’s life, outweighs everything. The Torah ha-kedoshah itself demands that you accept!”
The collector went on his way, touched by Reb Yudel’s fiery love and his willingness to contribute from his own Shabbos table. After paying for the surgery, the shaliach shared the interaction with one of the great Maggidim of Yerushalayim, Rav Shalom Schwadron.
More than fifteen years later, a guest was spending Shabbos at the Holtzmans’ home, and took note that Reb Yudel made Kiddush over challah instead of wine. Reb Yudel had explained, with deep simchah in his eyes, that it was his custom to honor Shabbos this way. Hearing this re-told by Rav Schwadron, another family member connected the dots: Reb Yudel was still working on paying back the debt more than a decade and a half later—a testament to his life of self-sacrifice and ahavas Yisrael.
This week marks ‘Shabbos Shekalim’, read annually on the Shabbos before the onset of the month of Adar. Sfas Emes mentions the reason that shekalim are collected now as the appropriate way to enter a month of amplified simchah, as one cannot experience joy if they do not bring joy to others.
The Beis Yisrael of Gur interpreted the pasuk, Pitachta saki vate’azreini simchah, “You undid my sackcloth and girded me with gladness” (Tehillim, 30:12), to mean, ‘If you loosen the ties of the sack that keeps you wrapped up in yourself, you will see that the Ribbono shel Olam will fill you with simchah.’
Indeed, the joy of Purim hinges on our generosity of heart. For this reason, Rambam (Hilchos Megillah, 2:17) prioritizes sharing with others above our own personal celebration: “It is better for people to increase in their matanos la’evyonim, gifts to the poor more than what they spend on their festive meal, and more than their mishlo’ach manos, the gifts that they send to their companions…” Rambam continues:
“…For there is no greater or glorious joy than to bring happiness to the hearts of the poor and orphans and widows and strangers, and one who brings happiness to the hearts of the less fortunate is compared to the Divine Presence, as the Navi sings, “…To revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the hearts of the broken ones!” (Yeshayah, 57:15)
The words of the Gemara, too, ring with subtle joy: “The eyes of the poor are lifted at the reading of the Megillah, to receive tzedakah” (Megillah, 4b). May the eyes of all of Am Yisrael be lifted this Adar; may we be revived in spirit and may our broken hearts be healed, in the great joy of Purim, the glorious joy of giving, of ahavas Yisrael—for Torah ha-kedoshah itself demands this!
Rav Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. He is the mashpia of OU-NCSY, founder of Tzama Nafshi, and the author of “Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva.” Rav Judah lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife, Ora, and their family.
