Kabbalah Library

19. “Blessed is he who teaches the poor.” The poor is a hidden person, from whom the Creator hides His face. He says to the Creator, “What are You giving me? Am I more wicked than all the other people in the world?” He quarrels with the Creator. Happy is he who teaches him, as it is written, “Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me, and he shall make peace with Me.”

20. Can it be that the Creator, the master of peace, who makes peace in His heavens, needs someone to make peace for Him? Is peace not His?

21. However, when the poor sees himself in sparseness, he makes a quarrel upward, and one who holds a poor one’s hand and does righteousness with him, it is as though he makes peace with the Creator, since he causes the poor one to ask forgiveness from the Creator for throwing words up. At that time, he makes peace between himself and his Maker. Who caused him to make peace? It is the one who gives charity to the poor one and holds his hand, as it is written, “Or let him take hold of My strength.” This is the poor one. The Creator says, “One is not judged for what he says in his affliction.”