One Who Gives Tzedakah Has Control Over His Money:
The pasuk seems to be saying that Eliezer, Avrohom’s servant, ruled over all of his possessions. The Shlah Hakadosh, however, explains that it is actually saying that Avrohom was the one who ruled over his possessions. He says that the pasuk should be read as saying that Eliezer was the servant of “the one who ruled over all that he had.”
He says that the reason Avrohom was called the ruler over everything he owned is because he used all of his possessions properly. He says that it is common for people who have been blessed by Hashem with many possessions and much wealth to keep it all for themselves and be stingy with others. The reason they act this way is because the yeitzer hara is the real owner of their possessions, and it doesn’t allow them to use their wealth in the proper way. But Avrohom ruled over everything he had. He had full power over himself and over all his possessions. Therefore, he was able to give away as much as he wanted to tzedakah and to help others.
Giving Tzedakah With Bitachon:
The following story is related in Sefer Ohr Hameir, a biography of Rav Meir of Premishlan zy”a, and was related by Rav Meir himself:
The first Yomim Noraim and Sukkos after the petirah of his father, Rav Aron Leib zy”a, many of his father’s chasidim came to Rav Meir. He collected approximately 100 rendlich from the pidyon money brought by the chasidim and blessed each of them with what they needed. They then traveled back home.
Rav Meir related that the yeitzer hara then came to him and said, “Meir, don’t be foolish. You know that these people didn’t come for you. They came for the honor of your father. They wanted to daven in his bais medrash, and they won’t return at all during the winter. If you don’t save the money they gave you now, you will have nothing to live off of in a few months. And you have the right to do so because these men gave their money to you to do with as you see fit.”
Rav Meir recognized that these thoughts were from the yeitzer hara, which was trying to entrap him. It was trying to instill a desire for money within him so that he would falter in his bitachon in Hashem.
He immediately ran out and gave away all the money that very night to the poor people of the town. He did not keep even one penny for himself.
As soon as it got light, he sat in his home and davened. He was exhausted from running around and not sleeping all night and asked if there was anything for him to drink in order to regain some of his strength. His wife replied that they didn’t have any money to buy food.
Rav Meir said, “At that moment, I placed my trust fully in Hashem. Suddenly, someone came to my door and handed me a coffee with sugar and a little money. I saw that Hashem’s salvation arrived in an instant and that His kindness was with me.”
