Although many people think that Judaism involves a lot of praying, in fact, Judaism is a religion of action more than prayer.
Yes, we should pray as much as possible, especially on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and beg for another year of life. But our sages tell us that G-d is more impressed if we show Him through what we do for others that it’s worth keeping us around for another year.
Ask yourself what you do that would be missed if you weren’t here next year. What do you do for people you don’t even know that would make G’d think that you would be missed by many people apart from your family and friends.
Chesed (good deeds) are something that everyone can do in some form or another Here are some ways to make use of what you have to make yourself indispensable. For more ideas of how to help, and information on who would be happy to receive help from you, contact Jewish Family and Children’s Services.
With a car, you could offer to take people to hospital appointments. Most communities have a Bikur Cholim organization taking people to appointments and arranging visits for hospitalized patients who have no family or friends locally. You can deliver food packages to families before Shabbat and chag. When you go shopping, you can offer to take a housebound neighbor with you or pick up some items for him. Maybe someone would like to visit a friend or relative, but neither of them can get around on public transport, so offer to take him/her on a visit.
With a few spare hours, you can help pack food packages for sick and housebound people and also for those in need. Extra hands are often needed around Rosh Hashanah time when the need is usually much greater. Offer to serve in a soup kitchen for a few hours a week. Ask if a local child needs help with their homework. Nowadays many families arrive from around the world, and they need help with their English so they can feel comfortable at school and work. Offer to sit and converse with them for an hour or two, and don’t be afraid to correct them. They want to feel they can speak fluently and correctly. Perhaps a mother of several children would be happy for you to read to them one afternoon. Check out who lives on their own in your neighborhood and pop in to visit them. You could offer to stay with patients overnight in hospital if they need someone to help them so as to give family members a break from 24/7 bedside stints.
If you can manage simple basic cooking, make a meal for a new mom or a sick member of the community. Bake a cake for someone housebound or lonely and take it round with a smile and a note so they know someone is thinking of them and knows they exist.
You can do a lot of chesed just with your phone. If you can’t manage to visit someone, maybe you could call them to chat and see how they are. Ask if they need you to pick up any medications or do any shopping for them. You can let them know about other organizations that can help them with meals or doctor’s or hospital appointments. If you doubt if they will make the contact themselves, you can offer to call the organization and make that first contact. Your phone call could be the only human being they speak to all day or even all week.
If you know someone who has difficulty reading, you can offer to read a book with them on the phone once a week.
Jews have always been well known for giving tzedakah to those in need, and nowadays, there are many people who need a helping hand financially. One thing to remember is that ‘charity begins at home’ is a Jewish dictum. Before you donate to organizations, think if someone in your family is having a hard time putting food on the table, making a simcha, marrying off a child, or paying school fees. As well as donating money to organizations, you can also use it in place of other acts of chesed you aren’t able to do. If you don’t have time to cook for someone who is housebound or just had a baby, you could order a meal to be delivered to them or a fruit basket to enhance their Shabbat table.
If you have just a few minutes to spare, never discount the power of prayer. Make a list of all the people you know who are sick, out of work, looking for a spouse, in financial straits, and say a chapter or two of Tehillim (Psalms) and ask Hashem that in the merit of your prayers (mention the people by name) should be granted a refuah sheleimah/parnassah/zivug(spouse).
May we all merit to be inscribed in the Book of Life for a year of good health, parnassah, and the opportunity to do chesed for others.