Parsha Poem: Re’ay / ראה

Devarim/Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17

This week, we read all of Parshas Re’ay,

And in it the Torah has plenty to say.

But “re’ay” means to see, to open our eyes,

And what we may see might be a surprise.

There are people so poor and people so needy,

Asking for our money but no, they’re not greedy.

They might not look nice or be friendly at all,

But the Torah says that when they come to call,

We open our hands, don’t hold back our coins;

Put them together so everyone joins.

But before you think that you’re being so kind,

The Torah says that’s not what should come to mind.

When someone needs help and they ask us out loud,

We’re not to feel generous, noble or proud.

The help goes to them in the coins that we pay,

But the thing that we learn here from Parshas Re’ay,

Is that they have helped us; they’ve done us a service,

Though handing out money might make us all nervous.

Hashem says if they ask we should not hesitate;

Don’t stand around talking, and don’t make them wait.

For without that person who’s clearly in need,

We could not do a mitzvah, perform that good deed.

And so if they thank you, just turn it around,

And thank them right back for the chance that you’ve found.

The chance for a mitzvah is worth more than money,

And giving tzedakah is sweeter than honey.

(handpainted tzedakah box image borrowed from Luda’s Judaica website, other images are Microsoft clip art, modified by me – in a hurry!)