After three millennia, the mitzvah of charity, given by God to our ancestors, has become ubiquitous in Western society.

What is often overlooked, however, is that the mitzvah of charity requires not only the feeding of empty stomachs, but also the nourishing of needy hearts, ignorant minds and aimless souls.

In the very first “public letter,” penned and addressed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to “the sons and daughters of Israel, everywhere,” which was printed and distributed in Jewish communities across the globe, he wrote: “Regarding material charity, the law is that [even] the material pauper is also obligated [to give], for even the most impoverished person can find a way to help his fellow pauper.  

“The same applies to spiritual charity. There is no man or woman in Israel who cannot, in some way, influence his or her fellow Jews and bring them closer to [Jewish life and tradition].”

On this note, the Rebbe would often quote the Chasidic saying: “If only you know aleph (the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet) — teach aleph!”

Once, Herb Brin, a noted author and the editor of four newspapers, met with the Rebbe after becoming editor of Jewish newspaper called Heritage. The private audience lasted six hours. At some point, the following exchange took place:

“Rebbe, I recently became editor of a Jewish publication. The problem is, I know very little about my people and their heritage. Do I have the right to make sensitive editorial judgments as I do not understand Hebrew, my Jewish education was truncated and I only know fragments of Yiddish?”

Looking him in the eye, the Rebbe said, “Do you have the right to withhold that which you do know?”
Another story: the Rebbe once asked a college student if he was involved with encouraging his fellow students to put on tefillin every day. “But Rebbe,” admitted the young man, “I myself don’t put on tefillin every day.”

“Why is that their fault?” replied the Rebbe, with a smile.

In sum, Judaism teaches, perhaps counterintuitively, that you don’t have to be rich to give to the poor, you don’t have to be a scholar in order to teach the ignorant and you don’t have to be perfect in order to help others perfect themselves.