Vayikra 5770 - March 19, 2010
The Financial Side of Passover
Passover, the festival of freedom, is fast approaching.
But can you experience freedom when you can't pay the bills? What if you know that your neighbor is unable to afford matzah or wine... Can you truly feel free knowing that your fellow is yoked by unbearable financial burden?
Since the days of the Talmud, it's been customary in all Jewish communities to raise money in the weeks before Passover in order to provide the needy – often anonymously – with matzah, wine, new clothes, and everything else needed to truly enjoy the festival. (This special charity, originally intended to provide the poor with matzah, is known as maot chitim, "the wheat fund.")
Don't be left out of this centuries-old web of giving! Find a fund near you that helps the local needy and contribute generously. If you do not know of such an organization, contact your local Chabad rabbi. He will be happy to point you to a local fund or to personally direct your funds to needy families who will use them to celebrate Passover.
And when you help others to celebrate a joyous holiday, G‑d will certainly reciprocate in kind, and grant you and yours a happy and kosher, a meaningful and liberating, holiday of Passover.
P.S. Hop on over to our Passover mega site, where you will find loads of Passover information, inspiration and detailed guides. We also have a complete "Before Passover" section, with information on how to rid your home of chametz, sell your chametz, order hand-made shmurah matzah, and more.
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Here’...
