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Podcast: The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman
Episode: Hayom Yom 2 Kislev - Importance of giving charity before prayer
Description: אַאַזְמוּ"ר בִּאֵר פַּעַם בְּמַאֲמָרIn the course of a maamar, my revered grandfather, [the Rebbe Maharash,] once commented הָא דְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר יָהִיב פְּרוּטָה לְעָנִי וְהָדַר מַצְלֵיon a statement of the Sages: “R. Elazar would give a coin to a poor person and then pray.” כִּי הֲרֵי הַתְּפִלָּה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת בְּחַיּוּת[He explained:] “Prayer should be energetic. וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים צְדָקָה לְעָנִי קוֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה וּמְחַיִּים אוֹתוֹGiving tzedakah to a poor person and enlivening him before praying נִתּוֹסַף חַיּוּת הַרְבֵּה בִּתְּפִלָּהgreatly increases one’s own vitality while praying.” וְנִעֲנַע בְּיָדוֹ מִמַּטָּה לְמַעְלָה לְרַמֵז שֶׁהָרִבּוּי בְּהַפְלָאָהAnd as my grandfather said these last words he waved his hands upward, to indicate a truly wondrous increase.וְכַמָּה פְּעָמִים קוֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה הָיָה אַאַמוּ"ר מְחַזֵּר אַחֲרֵי עָנִי לִתֵּן לוֹ לֶאֱכוֹלBefore my father, [the Rebbe Rashab,] began to daven, he would often search for a poor person to whom to give something to eat.Text and Translation courtesy of Sichos in English