Why Are There Poor People? A Spiritual Insight

In the Torah, it is stated: "For the poor will never cease out of the land" (Deuteronomy 15:11). Hashem commands us to give charity to the poor and gifts to the needy, and promises us that by virtue of this charity, "Hashem your God will bless you in all your works and in all that you undertake" (Deuteronomy 15:10). But the question arises, why did Hashem create a world where there would be poor and needy people from the start?

The existence of the poor is a natural condition in a world with sin and lack. When Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, Hashem fulfilled all their needs. The Midrash relates: "The first man sat in the Garden of Eden, and the ministering angels roasted meat for him and filtered wine" (Sanhedrin 59b).

However, after leaving the Garden of Eden, man was placed in a world of scarcity where sustenance comes with difficulty, and sin is close to trap him: "Sin lies in wait at the door, its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). Kabbalah teaches that sins committed by individuals who did not merit to rectify them cause them to reincarnate to mend what they damaged, and the trial of poverty is meant to rectify their souls. Hashem acts towards creatures measure for measure. Beautiful people who boasted of their looks or mocked the ugly may return in reincarnation as unattractive or deformed people; rich people who boasted of their wealth and did not show mercy to the poor, or sinned with their wealth, may return as poor to mend their wrong. This is a very difficult trial, as it includes not only physical lack but also shame from others.

Hashem similarly warns in the Torah, that those who do not have mercy on widows and orphans and torment them may find themselves in the same situation: "You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict them and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry. And my anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will become widows and your children fatherless" (Exodus 22:21-23). Hashem put compassion in our hearts for the wretched and gave us the commandment of charity to show mercy and help the poor. This role was assigned to us.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Hashem decrees poverty on people for the rectification of their souls, as atonement for sins, and this fate is determined for them even before they come to this world, as stated in the Talmud: "Rabbi Chanina bar Papa expounded: The angel in charge of conception, whose name is Lailah, takes a drop and places it before Hashem, and says, 'Master of the universe, what will be of this drop—a strong man or a weak man, a wise man or a fool, a rich man or a poor man?' But wicked or righteous he does not say" (Niddah 16b).

There are those who look at the success of others and ask why they did not merit wealth, or why they face financial hardship in contrast to their neighbor. The truth is that each person has their own accounting, based on deeds from previous lifetimes, and what they came into the world to rectify. What is decreed for one is not decreed for another. Each person has their own separate accounting. Do not look at what the other has received, for they have different accounts than yours, and in previous lifetimes, they were in different places than you. We must remember the principle that "Hashem does not deprive any creature of its reward" (Bava Kamma 38b), and everything is ultimately for our betterment in the World to Come.

But it is crucial to remember this principle: success in sustenance, as well as difficulties in sustenance, are decreed for the soul even before descending into the world; only righteous or wicked are not determined for the soul in advance, for it depends on each person's free choice. Nonetheless, we must remember, that although everything is decreed from heaven even before we come into the world, Hashem has given us the ability to receive additional abundance beyond what is decreed for us—this is the power of prayer and faith: "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's mercy surrounds those who trust in Him" (Psalms 32:10). Hashem has given us the ability to pray about our situation, do repentance, and practice charity, and through these, sweeten decrees that were issued upon us even before we came to the world, and even cancel harsh decrees.

In this way, our sages taught us that "Repentance, prayer, and charity remove the bad decree," and the sages said (Shabbat 156b): "Charity saves from death." The Talmud tells us about many cases where a person's death at a young age was decreed upon them even before coming into this world, but through charity, they broke the decree cast upon them. For example, it was decreed that Rabbi Akiva's daughter would die on the day of her wedding, but Hashem arranged for a poor man to come to her wedding hungry, everyone was busy with the wedding and did not pay attention to him, but the daughter saw him from afar and gave the poor man the special meal prepared for her! Later, she discovered that her hairpin was driven into the wall, and this pin had struck the head of a snake that was supposed to bite her that day.

The ability to do kindness with the poor is a great merit, and therefore it has the power to break bad decrees. The reason for this is stated in the Talmud: "He who shows mercy to creatures, will be shown mercy from Heaven, and he who does not show mercy to creatures, will not be shown mercy from Heaven" (Shabbat 151b).

Hashem acts with His creations measure for measure. Therefore, the holy Torah instructs us to provide generously to the poor: "You shall surely open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need" (Deuteronomy 15:8), not only that, but the Torah demands that we give charity to the poor with joy and a good heart: "You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him" (Deuteronomy 15:10). And because of this, the Torah promises us: "For because of this thing the Lord your God shall bless you in all your work, and in all that you undertake." The Ruler of the World promises us that whoever gives charity will be in a better state. Charity is a great merit, through which one attains sweetening of judgments and even the cancellation of decrees.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Until the coming of complete redemption, there will be a presence of sin and atonement for sins in the world, for this reason, it is said: "For the poor will never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, saying, you shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land" (Deuteronomy 15:11). Hashem desires to do kindness with the poor through us, and has appointed us as emissaries for a good deed. He gave us the privilege to improve the world and ourselves by developing the attribute of mercy. Hashem is merciful, and through His mercy, we merit to resemble Him and get closer to Him.

I once heard a shocking story about an evil Gentile who passed by on the street, saw an old and poor woman asking for alms, and said to her: "If Hashem doesn't have mercy on you and doesn't help you, then why should I help you?!" and left. In his cruelty, he didn't want to understand that the role to help the poor was assigned to him, and his malicious heart only harmed himself. Hashem governs the world, and He will arrange for the poor the money they were supposed to get, only the rich person missed out on the reward of the mitzvah they could have earned. Rabbinic figures often thanked the poor for giving them the opportunity to perform the mitzvah of charity!

On the holiday of Purim, every Jewish man and woman is commanded to give two gifts to two poor people. In this mitzvah, gratitude is expressed for the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman's decree, and for all the kindnesses that Hashem has done and continually does for us. For the truth must be said: the money and sustenance in this world do not belong to us at all, they were given to us as a trust, and Hashem appointed us as emissaries to do His will. We are all guests at the banquet of the King of Kings, Hashem, and all that we have been granted, has been given to us by His grace and charity. Therefore, "Give to Him of what is His, since you and your possessions are His" (Pirkei Avot 3:7).