תורה 31

17. The perfection of all things is faith. Without faith, all things are lacking. As our Sages taught: Concerning charity, one who gives a penny to a pauper is blessed with six, and one who consoles him [with words] is blessed with eleven. And, whether he gives charity or consoles the pauper, one [blessing] is missing. For it should have been seven and twelve, paralleling the seven planets and the twelve constellations, because charity corresponds to the GaLgaLim (wheels, bands). As our Sages taught: “for b’GLaL (because of) this thing He will bless you”—the wheel-of-fortune is what turns round in the world.

And, just as the galgalim have two movements—one, the natural movement from west to east; and one, the restraining movement from east to west in which the diurnal band turns round and rotates from east to west and restrains the other galgalim —the same is true charity. Our Sages taught: More than what the master of the house does for the pauper, the pauper does for the master of the house. This corresponds to the two movements, from west to east and from east to west; i.e., from the pauper to the master of the house and from the master of the house to the pauper {as is explained above}.

For all bounty and blessing come by means of the galgalim, because through them the Holy One guides the world, as is known. Therefore, it would have been fitting for the blessings connected with charity to have been seven and twelve, paralleling the galgalim. But with this our Sages, of blessed memory, instructed us that charity is lacking and is without perfection. It is still missing one; both by the giver and by the consoler. In other words, faith is missing. Without it, charity is still lacking. But through faith, the aspect of charity is perfected and shines. Thus it is written, “He had faith in God, and He counted it as charity”—that through faith it was counted as charity. For without faith, it is lacking.

And this is what our Sages taught: Sun on Shabbat is charity to the poor. Shabbat corresponds to faith, for Shabbat testifies to His oneness and to the renewal of the world, as is explained in the holy books. And through faith, which corresponds to Shabbat, charity illuminates. This is the meaning of: The sun on Shabbat is charity. Sun connotes light. In other words, as explained, on Shabbat, which corresponds to faith, charity illuminates.

The Torah, too, is lacking without faith. Therefore, our Sages taught: King David came and based it on eleven, Yeshayahu came and based it on six. Thus there is also missing one from the count, exactly matching what they said about charity: six and eleven. This is because without faith, the Torah is lacking. And this is what they said: Until Chabakkuk came and based it on one: “The tzaddik lives by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). For through faith, the Torah is made perfect.

And this is the intention of the Tanna who began the Mishnah: “The [laws of] carrying an object on Shabbat are two which are four. How? The pauper…. The pauper put his hand inside.” The start of [tractate] Shabbat immediately begins with the mitzvah of charity. This is to imply that on Shabbat charity is perfected and illuminates, as explained: Sun on Shabbat is charity to the poor. For through Shabbat, which corresponds to faith, charity is perfected and illuminates.

And through them, the blessings that were missing are added, because faith is the source of blessings, as is written, “A man of faith, many are [his] blessings.” Likewise, it is said of Shabbat that “she is the source of blessing” (Lekha Dodi).

This is also what is written (Psalms 85:14), “Charity will go before him [and set his footsteps on the way].” For there are wide roads which are major thoroughfares, and there are paths; one road and path leading this way, another going that way. Paralleling each road and path there is a road and path in the celestial bands. And, just as here [on earth] grasses grow between the roads, so, too, there are stars which parallel each and every grass, from whose strength the grasses grow. This is as our Sages taught: There is not a blade of grass below which does not have a star….

Now, occasionally, when a person encounters some adversity or misfortune on the road, it is because paralleling that place there is interference to the star, preventing it from shining fully. The solution, therefore, is to give charity before setting out on the journey, as is written, “Charity will go before him, and set his footsteps on the way.” This is because through charity, the star will shine. For, as explained, by means of charity the celestial bands illuminate. Therefore, as a result of the charity that he gives, he will eliminate the interference he has on the road which stems from the interference in the galgalim and the stars.

This is what our Sages taught: There is one star which confuses the ships (Horayot 10a). That is, when a ship comes under that star, then the [captain of the] ship loses his way because the star does not shine fully.