Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh, Chapter 21
The whole chapterאאַחַר דְּרִישַׁת שְׁלוֹמָם, כְּמִשְׁפָּט לְאוֹהֲבֵי שְׁמוֹ, אֶל הַמִּתְנַדְּבִים בָּעָם, לַעֲשׂוֹת צִדְקַת ה׳ עִם אַרְצוֹ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, לָתֵת מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה חוֹק הַקָּצוּב מָעוֹת אֶרֶץ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ, תִּבָּנֶה וְתִכּוֹנֵן בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ, אֲלֵיהֶם תִּטּוֹף מִלָּתִי, וְתִזַּל כַּטַּל אִמְרָתִי, לְזָרֵז לִזְרִיזִים, וּלְחַזֵּק יָדַיִם רָפוֹת בְּמַתַּן דָּמִים מָעוֹת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתּוֹ, וּלְפָחוֹת מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ, מֵעֶרְכּוֹ הַקָּצוּב לְעֵרֶךְ שָׁנָה, וְכָל כֶּסֶף הַקֳּדָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר עָלָה עַל לֵב אִישׁ לְהִתְנַדֵּב בְּלִי נֶדֶר לְפַרְנָסַת אַחֵינוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי אֶרֶץ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ, מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה.
1TWENTY-ONE. Upon enquiring after their welfare, as is becoming to those who love His Name—“May my word drop and my speech trickle as dew”1 to those who offer themselves willingly among the people2 to practice the righteousness of the L–rd (tzidkat Hashem) with His Holy Land3 by giving every year a set sum of monies for our Holy Land, may it be rebuilt and re-established speedily, in our days. (I call upon you) to bestir the alert4 and to strengthen weak hands, to contribute monies for the Land of Israel every week, or at least every month, of the amount assigned as the year’s apportionment, as well as all the “dedicated money” that one was inspired to donate annually, without a vow,5 for the support of our brethren who live in the Holy Land.
בכִּי הִנֵּה, מִלְּבַד הַיָּדוּעַ לַכֹּל גּוֹדֶל מַעֲלַת הַזְּרִיזוּת בְּכָל הַמִּצְוֹת, הַנֶּאֱמַר וְנִשְׁנָה בְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״לְעוֹלָם יַקְדִּים אָדָם לִדְבַר מִצְוָה כוּ׳״, וּזְרִיזוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם הִיא הָעוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד, לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד עוֹלָם.
2For, note, besides that it is known to all the great virtue of alertness with respect to all commandments—[Thus it is mentioned repeatedly in the sayings of our Sages, of blessed memory: “At all times one should try to be first when it comes to a commandment.”6 Also, it is the alertness of our father Abraham, peace to him, that stands by us and our children, for everlasting.
גכִּי הָעֲקֵדָה עַצְמָהּ אֵינָהּ נֶחְשָׁבָה כָּל כָּךְ לְנִסָּיוֹן גָּדוֹל לְעֵרֶךְ מַעֲלַת אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם, בְּשֶׁגַּם, כִּי ה׳ דִּיבֶּר בּוֹ: ״קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ כוּ׳״ וַהֲרֵי כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה קְדוֹשִׁים שֶׁמָּסְרוּ נַפְשָׁם עַל קְדוּשַּׁת ה׳ גַּם כִּי לֹא דִיבֶּר ה׳ בָּם. רַק שֶׁאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו־הַשָּׁלוֹם עָשָׂה זֹאת בִּזְרִיזוּת נִפְלָאָה, לְהַרְאוֹת שִׂמְחָתוֹ וְחֶפְצוֹ לְמַלֹּאות רְצוֹן קוֹנוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לְיוֹצְרוֹ.
3For the akedah7 itself is not really regarded as so great a test in relation to the level of our father Abraham, peace to him, especially as G–d said to him “Please take your son….”8 After all, there are numerous saints who gave their lives for the sanctification of the L–rd, even though that G–d did not speak to them. However, our father Abraham, peace to him, did this with a wondrous alertness9 to show his joy and desire to fulfill the will of his Master and to cause gratification to his Maker.
דוּמִמֶּנּוּ לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה לְקִיּוּם כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת בִּכְלָל, וּבִפְרָט מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה הָעוֹלָה עַל כּוּלָּנָה הַמְּגִינָּה וּמַצְּלָה בְּפֵירוֹתֶיהָ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מִכָּל מִינֵי פּוּרְעָנִיּוֹת הַמִּתְרַגְּשׁוֹת, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת״, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן מִשְּׁאָר מִינֵי יִסּוּרִים הַקַּלִּים מִמָּוֶת כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁטּוֹב לָנוּ גַּם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְהַקְדִּימָהּ כָּל מַה דְּאֶפְשָׁר, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָדָם נִידּוֹן בְּכָל יוֹם:
4And from him our Sages, of blessed memory, derived (the requirement of alertness) with respect to the keeping of all the commandments in general;10 and in particular with respect to the act of charity, which is superior to them all, protecting and saving by its “fruits” in this world11 from all kinds of calamities that may come about, as it is written: “And tzedakah saves from death,”12 thus, a fortiori, from other kinds of suffering that are lighter than death. It is, thus, certainly to our benefit, even in this world, to be as zealous with it as possible, for, after all, “Man is judged every day.”13]
Kehot Publication Society (English Translation)