Help The Poor

In the opening paragraph of the Haggadah recited at the Seder, we declare: "All who are hungry, let them come and eat." Our nation is a singular entity, and in order to experience freedom ourselves, we must also ensure that our brothers and sisters have the means to celebrate freedom too.

In reality, however, most of the people who are hungry will not be standing in our dining rooms as we begin our Seder waiting for the invitation. As such, in preparation for the Passover holiday, it is age-old Jewish tradition to contribute generously towards funds that ensure that indeed everyone who is in need has the necessary provisions for the holiday - food, matzah, wine, festive clothing, etc.

This special Passover fund, originally intended to provide the poor with matzah, is known as ma'ot chitim, "the wheat fund," or kimcha d'pischa, "Passover flour."

Don't be left out of this centuries-old web of giving! Find a fund near you that helps the local needy and contribute generously. (According to Jewish law, when disbursing charity, the local needy are our first concern.) Rabbi Mendy Muskal will  personally direct your funds to needy families who will use them to celebrate Passover.

The collection of ma'ot chitim begins thirty days prior to the holiday, and the funds are distributed by the Shabbat preceding the holiday. If one has not yet given by then, one should anyways give, even up until the last moments before the onset of the holiday.

And when you help others to celebrate a joyous holiday, G‑d will certainly reciprocate in kind, and grant you and yours a happy and kosher, a meaningful and liberating, holiday of Passover!