A Short Tribute

"Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put in fetters". Two types of charity are familiar to us. In the first, a person gives but makes no effort to have others give. This is termed "One who has hands" – for the person opens his or her hands to give. The second type concerns those who make the physical effort to go from place to place, from shop to shop, to ask others to give to the poor but do not give on their own. This is termed "One who has feet" – a person who fulfills the commandment using their feet. Then there are those who take action and have others act as well, who give and who also collect from others, to involve them in the mitzvah; this is called "having hands and feet". That is the intent of Scripture in saying, "Your hands were not bound" – meaning that your hand should be open to (giving) charity; "your feet were not fettered" means to say: Use your feet as well, take the trouble to go from place to place to collect charity.