Short post tonight on my gift for Hannah’s Bat Mitzvah (see yesterday’s post). Because Hannah is so special to me, I wanted to make her something that would be unique to her personality. I thought about her charity project for Kids in Crises, and decided that an appropriate gift would be a Tzedakah, or charity, box. I build these boxes out of wood pieces. They are about a foot tall, made of pine, and are very labor intensive. But Hannah is worth it, and I wanted to commemorate this important day and all of the hard work that she put in to make her Bat Mitzvah so special.
I covered the box with colorful papers in coordinating colors and a variety of fun patterns, as Hannah is a colorful young lady! I then printed the Bat Mitzvah program that I had on file in my computer, cut it up, and collaged it onto the Tzedakah box. The result is a lively, fun box for Hannah to deposit her charity money. It is a mitzvah, or commandment, in the Jewish tradition to give Tzedakah on a regular basis. Some contribute before candlelighting on Friday nights, some as part of the challah bread baking ceremony. The emphasis is on giving as part of ordinary life, not just on special occasions or for a tax break.
I believe that giving is essential to our well-being. As Hannah states so beautifully at the end of her speech, “It feels so good to receive something, and get help when you need it, but it feels even better to be the one to do this for someone else.” I couldn’t have said it better.
How do you make giving a part of your life?
