"Parshas Re'eh: Vilna Gaon - Give Tzedaka And Watch Your Step
"Paso'ach Tiftach Es Yadecha Lo", open up your hand to the poor (Re'eh 15:8). The gemara in Bava Basra (10a) tells the story how Rav Papa was walking up the stairs and his foot slipped and he was about to fall. Chiya Bar Rav MiDifti said to him, "Maybe a poor person came to you and you did not support him." What is the connection between an accident on the steps and not giving tzedaka?
The Vilna Gaon explains this enigmatic comment with the "Trop" the notes used when reading in the Torah the words Paso'ach Tiftach. The notes are "Darga" and "Tevir" which literally means "Steps" and "Break". After seeing Rav Papa's accident on the stairs, Chiya Bar Rav MiDifti's first thought was this must be a tzedaka issue."
http://www.revach.net/article.php?id=4005
Last week, I was invited to a relative for Shabbos lunch. Her husband made the blessing on the challah and proceeded to slice half of the challah, and we all took a slice. During the meal, our hostess broke off a piece of the leftover challah and I told her about a video clip that had been emailed to my son. In the clip, a man walks into a store and requests a challah. He asks the woman behind the counter to slice it. She tells him that the Ashkenazim don't slice the challah, they break off the pieces, instead.
My hostess proceeded to break off another piece of challah and told me, "but it tastes better like this."
Wishing you a good Shabbos and hope your challah is delicious.
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