Question:
I have recently been trying to learn the halachos of giving a chomesh, and have seen more than once(from others as well)the idea of “If the person has large aveiros, that are blocking the merit of the tzedakah to take effect”, But have yet to hear or see anyone describe what those “large aveiros” are, Can you please elaborate for me what those aveiros might be? Thank you
Answer:
Hello,
What you heard is brought in sefer “V’hoish Moshe” (on R’ Moshe Soloveitchik zt”l) pg. 206. He says there that one who has such aveiros knows about them and what they are.
As a side point, the poskim bring a number of factors that will block the positive effect of the tzedakah. The first is if the money isn’t clean of gezel (theft) (see Chida in Bris Olam on Sefer Chasidim 396). Also, the Chofetz Chaim (Ahavas Chesed 2-19) says that if the person did things that cause poverty, or aveiros that cause rich people to get poor, (i.e. lending with interest, not paying workers on time, pledging to tzedakah and giving the money, see Succah 29a-b) that this will have a negative effect even if the person gives tzedakah. Additionally, the Chofetz Chaim (Al Hatorah pg. 59) writes that there are times when it was decreed on a person to die or some other big punishment, and Hashem will redeem that misfortune, for the wealth that the person should have gotten from their tzedakah. Although the person didn’t actually get rich however he is now rich that he is alive, which is a greater fortune. See B’orach Tzedakah in his second introduction, where he enumerates a number of other causes as well.
Best wishes
