Page 1 A ston,fiom the Talmr"rcl: Ruhhi `4kiha hctr{ a dat`tg!`tter` 7

Page 1 A ston,fiom the Talmr"rcl: Ruhhi `4kiha hctr{ a dat`tg!`tter` 7

A ston,fiom the
Talmr"rcl:
him' "t'lie riaf ihal ^slte ett{ers tl'te
Ilr.rypuhctsttu!':ewillhitelieruiir{:;he"t'iildit:"ftcv't'ulldw{)t'!'))rsverlhem$tIer(Igredl
,terti On tlmt t,ery t{a), ,tht tortk r;t'/ ht:r" hrrtoch. .tti.tr:k i|. itttrs u r:rcrck in the vtcll rmd sha
leaTtpenefi ttt plngi.l it in t!,te 4)e ql'u,r;ncrke ln lhtr nusrning u'hert sht: Iook il rtttl. the 'sncka
rrailed u/ier it
Ruhhi '4kiha hctr{ a dat'tg!'tter' 7-{'te uslrr't/rtgr:t''t: :;ctiti frt
Iler./ather saicl to her. "vthttt tlic{.t,rsz,t do'/" Sh.e.su/r-t to ltim, "!n"'t evenirtg apoor per$otz
him'
cctmi,e u,rc{ call.erJ ut the cl,Lor htil {>\,?t'\)t.tna v.'17,g l1v,t;1: u'itlithe.fbctsl und no otle hetw"cl
ltirn-''
guve
i(
lo
I
I got ttp und took the Txtr{ioit lliti itud l1r:eit given lo t't2(: i.trid
" {tahbi ,4kiittt vvenl tn,Ll urtt{ txpount{ec{
to her'. "\'au *ccotnplishe d tr rnil::i'uh.
Ihr: tterse , "11atl lrednlmh ^suve s.li"rttt dauth..'" ({:}rts'.'u'h't l0;2) - rtnd nttt.li'ont ntt
(,\huhhfi 156b)
urznutura! clectJz, bttt.{vottt deuth it';clf.
lle
.suit{
Stories invite Lls-_first ancl fcrremosi--to collsider their straightforwarcl meanings, their
death
sirnple enchantments. Rabbi i\lciba cr:lelxates his dauglrter's rurw'ittitlg esoapr: fi'om
triunph
by applyilg tg il a verse c;f Scriptui:e ti'rat rlescribels vuhat lre understands tt-r be the
of the moment: "'And tzeclakah sa.r,es lronr cicath."'he clur:tes I}om Proverbs^ And not
improba.ble death" hr-ii fr'.rur dr:aiit" il"self.
"iust fi.orn ern exotic.
But does R.ab6i Akiba*-poiitic;;i ;x:tji'is{^ it:aiist. i,r.'iltl leai:ires iil ili.e facct of cei"tain
rleatLr--!ive rvilh such a sii:ipic c<li'rsl.ri.ri:tititt ttica';s,e n;rd ti'f'":ct'? We ai'e" certainly.
entitlerl to laoli furthcr into tlre ,cioij,. Ai the rrq:l-]' iea:-rt. 'iiiel.e is anothei sirnple
ulderstaucliilg of the verse ln ihr: light nl-r;iii1'sf-{r:1'. it is a i::ieat-''.ittg i}-lai focr;sr:s tlot on the
'"'l-zecia"kair sa\r{js
lthr: pauperl from
tulnamed hr:iiie^ buion i.he unirame,J Fanp*-:t-:
death..."
interpletaiir:tr ol'"'1";;eilal<;rii sai'E:s l't'ol1l rir:al-it". Caii r''ve nr:i say tha.1
sr,istaining the panper mi,ghf ha.ii: s::vr:d thc lifr: of tha"i ntarl's family? Or'" of someone elsc
ivhom he rvoiild;riri in a chain i"ea-r.:i.ion,11'gooti rvill arrr-i.1t,u;l1r;'? Pcrrliaps the r:iraritable
atlention paicl tc hirn bi,thr: brirlc hersrr;li'sli.lr',r.i, ih,; liie ai'liis ilignitr'. oi'his se;ise of -qelfl
Hence, more meanings; of. ''A.nr-i t:;edz:.k;-lh s;n'es ji'onr <jea"tli...'"
!!iden the circie
r>f
Now, to the trrride he rseif i()r a n:omcilt. 1i takes a gieilt soul to rner:t ti:r: flooi' person at
the dcror: Her./ather.raid trt hey, "u,Jtal ditlytsu do?" .\he,saidto hirn, "lasl cvening a
poorpersoncQfttesndcetlledrstlher{oorbttt€v-er7:1s11su''c'sbus');tt'ilhtheJbcrslctndnoone
^heari
"
him. I got up arzC toak tlrc partiott lhcrf hcd heen givert lo me and I grn;e it ta him.
When the rvoriil is too brn;,-._ evexr la'i1.h importanf..!o1'ous business---there are alwa,vs
great souls lvhcl Iceep iln itar tr-ineC hrr tlre poof ptltSolt at'ihe r1oor.
Iior decades, Iia.nt h4argglis" ear ui;ls iiu"lcii tr hear the F<-.o;: person at the tiocr. lVith his
palvn shop situated nearthe irns stalir>n.;'i.1- I)u:'iran-i's rlo<"rt oii !:last Main Street" Sam was
the custodian and dispensr:r of iiie .ic.;iish ct:irt;iiunit',''s t;:cciakzrli dr:.sign:rted lbr
'fhev vnere travelers. soiicitors
distritrution tp those Jer.vs rviro ',v6i-llci pass thior:gh loli/'tl.
'ftrre1needed a haldout, a bus
for causes aild in,qtitutions, ;ldventurers, or losi soirls.
ticket. an aspirin, a f"er.ri houis of r,iroili. firei,' leained to corne to Sant'lr door. fioon, it
was not ont-r, the Jews who r.voiil<l cr,.rnc to the pa.,vit shop. lrnt lravelers of all faiths and
c61ors" Anci not opl,v* ti'a.velers" bui resirlents gitclvtt ra'l"1o rvei'e in neecl knerv thatthey
woulin get help and r:ornpassion finnt "i\'4r. I"iam.""
As n6isy as the'world niight be. whethi:r-+,'ith ceiebi:at.iort oi'rviih folly. Smn ahvays heard
the pooi person ai the tioor-. AnrJ he r.,,as.alu'ay's reacl;i to gi1;g h-orn his poi-tion of the
feast. We might imagine that Sain's tz,:iialiah" on occasictl. qr-rite literall,v sa'zed fiom
death. Most cedainiy. $2p'* tz.eilakah sr,istainerl gooct ireopie and enabied thcm t0
sustairq athers-famii,v anrJ cornn:linit.,,--r,r,hen they finally ieached their dr:stinatjons'
Undoribtedlir, Sanr's gentlr;and respectliil i;rannc:i'siivccl ma.ny l'rom the deafh of self
esteem and dignity. I:r all i;hese lva.l,'s $altr ii:'ed olit meaniirgs of the verl{e.'-Tzedakair
saves
fiom denth. . . "
"Whril tl-idt,rsr.rc/sZ" Rerbtri Akiba al;ke:cl i-ris claugirler, in reconstructiitg tire eventful da.rz
of her t{uppah. slre might har'oi rnonti,:}r"tcri tltl), one oJ'a number oJ er'-citts. }fLlt cirief
\^il-s her act of tzedakah' 't\
ainong l^ier associationi. rnr:sl 1;icinincnt ln her ccnscitli.tsne:;s.
"tzeda-kilh conscioustless" lLlltls on{j a\4';}\: tiorr: seiiai:scrptirrn' A fredakah
consciousn**o s21\i{)s one 1i.om a r.r,ni-iri lliat is rlez:ri hcvoir,j the fic}nt cloor*-j'And tzed:rkali
savesfiomcieath..."'lhefiiilsstn'teasLireofsam'-"tzedakairhasnotbeencor-rtlteci,nor
Qufl*cc it to say
wili it be since a goorl rieai of his gii"ing ani-" suppt"tl riias clone secreth''
that stolies cf his gelerosil"y aird sieer,;if,a:;1 s,"lppot't o1'people, causes? and ccimmunities
have been surf.'a,:ing rJ.uringtlie pasl ilalls" all olf'these tales clescribing amanol"ttzedaka.h
con$ciousness."
'i':zeda.kah saves front
I1 all 1'ays, Sam liveci out tire manl' nrc:auings of ihc vers;e ",'\nd
death.-." llis ninr:t,v three 1.ears r:r''tll'i l'orcer-i r-ts tci r:onsidr:l iirat first and mosf iiterai
meanilg tied io tlrc story,rlR^biri L\kiba ani iris ciaLrghtci'. Is it possibie that Sam r.vaiild
simplv go ol.i" and on'J Does tzeda'kah-*-lit'er:rlil'-*-lia'r'e iiorl death'l
It is ivith saclness that \.ve set a.sicl.c thal mt;s1 boitL anri straigl"rttbnvard meaning of th':
\/etrse,"AndTzedakairsavesf:'omciea-tli..." l}rititisivitirgratitllde, love.andcelebration
that we affirm a]l gther mei.rninglr o1'that rrr:i'se tira-t Sart taught us dudng iong ancl rvell
lived veat'q.