Once a man asked the following question to his clever child, "Let’s assume that ten birds landed on the roof of our house. Soon four archers approached the house. Each one shot a single arrow and killed one bird - so that now four of the birds were dead. Tell me son, how many birds are left on the roof?"
"Four," replied the young boy.
"I am afraid you have miscalculated," said his father, "if you subtract the four dead birds from the original group of ten, then there should be six birds left."
"Once the arrows hit their marks, the remaining six birds feared for their lives, and quickly flew away," countered the child. Therefore, only the four dead birds remain on the roof. Indeed, there is nothing in this world that can stir them to leave their place." The father was pleased with his son and said to him, "You have answered quite correctly, my son."
So too, when a person gives money to tzedakah (charity), he considers the money that he gave as if it is gone, i.e., dead, for he can no longer derive any benefit from those funds. Whereas he considers the money remaining in his hand as "live", for he can spend it how he sees fit.
However, it is just the opposite that is true! The money that remains in his hand can "fly away" in a second, just like the six birds on the roof that took to the air. Indeed, Shlomo HaMelech taught this very idea (Mishlei 23:4-5): "Riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."
While the money that he gives to tzedakah will remain with him forever! Just as the dead birds will never leave his domain, so too, he will enjoy the merit of his charity and kind deeds both in this world as well as The World to Come.
TODAY: Put a coin in the charity box and say, "This is the best investment I ever made."
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