“Did He Remember?”
A Moral Dilemma for the Shabbos Table

By Rabbi Yitzi Weiner

In this week’s Torah portion the Torah discusses the mitzva to give charity. This brings us to the following true dilemma. (Click HERE for inspirational stories about this mitzva)

A tzedaka collector named Shalom once walked into a shul.  An elderly man gave him five dollars. The collector made his rounds though the large shul and later passed by the old man again. The old man ostensibly didn’t recognize Shalom and wanted to give him five dollars once again.

Shalom felt a bit conflicted. He would love the extra donation, but he wanted to know if it was permitted for him to accept it. It was possible that the man simply forgot that he gave already. Is Shalom obligated to remind the elderly man that he gave already? Or can he just be quiet and accept the charity which the elderly man willingly wants to give? He would prefer not to say anything. Is he allowed to simply accept it?

What do you think?
See Hebrew Veharev Na Volume Two page 443

 

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