Patience and Generosity

Rabbi Berel Wein once told the story about a quiet and peaceful Sunday afternoon while living in Monsey, New York.

As the afternoon wore on, Rabbi Wein was visited by a constant barrage of individuals asking for financial assistance. He tried to be polite and generous to each visitor. He admitted that by the time he got interrupted by a knock on the door the twentieth time, his patience was wearing thin.

He caught himself by remembering the words of the Torah that admonished us to be kind to the poor. The testing of his patience was designed to see how well he would receive one request after another.

There is a reference to this idea in the Torah regarding the Hebrew slave, when he terminates his years of servitude. This applies both to the one who sold himself into slavery because he was impoverished, and the thief who could not pay back what he stole. He must not be sent away empty handed, but must be given some type of grant before entering society once again.

We are meant to be a compassionate people. We are to remember how fortunate we are to be able to be on the giving side. When Hashem sees this kindness, patience, and spirit of giving, he will reward us in kind. And this certainly applies after the twentieth knock on the door on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Monsey, New York.