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Why does Avos 5:16 include someone who neither gives nor wants others to give as a 'type of charitable giver'? The shiur reveals that even performing mitzvos with the wrong attitude—begrudging recipients or resenting their success—makes one wicked in God's eyes. This Rosh Hashanah lesson teaches that God judges us exactly as we judge others.
Rabbi Zweig begins by exploring a fundamental principle about Rosh Hashanah, noting that the term 'Rosh Hashanah' doesn't appear in the Torah (תורה) itself. Instead, the Torah describes it as the time when 'the eyes of Hashem (ה׳) are on the land of Israel from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.' This sets up the central theme: how we look at others determines how God looks at us. The shiur focuses on Pirkei Avos 5:16, which describes four types of people who give charity. Rabbi Zweig addresses two puzzling questions: why does the Mishna include someone who neither gives nor wants others to give as a 'type of charitable giver,' and what does it mean when someone wants to give but doesn't want others to give? He explains that the first type - those who want to give but don't want others to give - refers to people who are willing to help the poor but don't want them to become their equals. They prefer recipients to remain dependent rather than become self-sufficient through collective community support.
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Pirkei Avos 5:16
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Why does Avos 5:18 describe four student types using 'middos' (character traits) rather than intelligence levels? Learning ability stems from attitude toward study, not IQ. The progression from sponge to sieve represents increasingly sophisticated approaches to Torah, with ADD often reflecting society's devaluation of learning for its own sake rather than a cognitive deficit.
