In parshas Emor HaKadosh Baruch Hu instructs the cohanim to be meticulous about the gifts that they receive on his behalf from the people of Israel. They are to be specifically cautious about making a sacrilege. Rashi comments that they should not take them when in a state of ritual impurity.
The Chumash specifies 24 items that are to be received by the cohanim. Most of them are a portion of the sacrifices that are offered in the Temple which can be voluntary or obligatory. The idea is that the sacrifices are a gift of some sort to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and the cohanim are not only receiving them on His behalf but also consuming them on His behalf. Tithes are kind of like taxes. Portions of baked goods, parts of butchered animals, the first of the fleece, and the first fruits are kind of like actual gifts. The money given to redeem a first born son is an obligatory gift. Things donated to the Temple are true gifts.
People need money to live. It has a variety of names depending on the reason and way it was given. A person receives wages if he is basically being paid for his time. A salary is paid to someone responsible for a particular task. Therefore he can leave early if there is not much to do, but must stay late if there is much to do, even though it's the same money. A member of the board of directors receives an honorarium for accepting overall responsibility for an organization, even though he may only attend a few meetings a year.
A rabbi and a talmid chacham receive charity. The idea is that, when a person needs help that only a sage or a friend can give or to give a crown to a very happy occasion, these are the people who should be there. Also a person cannot charge for being a good example. In addition there are services for which payment can be demanded but it would be crass to handle it that way. Other times the issues can be subtle or sensitive. For this reason a love gift or a gift given without a reason is appropriate. This is particularly true with deep religious issues that touch the heart. To be able to do these things a person must spend much time in study and meditation.
To succeed in this line of service one needs to know how to properly receive a gift and make it easy for a person to give one. This starts with accepting the gift pleasantly and honorably. This means that a talmid chacham should not be disgusting. To the extent he gets dirty, he should promptly wash.
The gifts themselves should be treated with respect. It is best if the recipient uses them by himself. In a true sense a tsaddik is receiving the gift because he is the personification of the religious values the donor holds dear. As a result the gift is a gift to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Therefore their proper treatment is a sanctification of the name of Hashem.
לע"נ האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח
העלון ניתן לקבל בדואר אלקטרוני וגם באתר http://dyschreiber.blogspot.com
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