Let me share one more beautiful story I saw in the sefer Doresh Tov about Matanot La'evyonim. A poor man arrived in a certain city and entered the shul hoping for relief. His clothes were torn, his shoes worn through and through, his hat tattered, and he hadn't eaten in three days. He entered and saw a large sign: No collecting of tzedakah between Mincha and Maariv. A blow to the heart. He thought: “This rule is called the Takkanat Arba Aratzot. Do you know where it originated? In Sodom, Amorah, Admah, and Tzevoyim – there they had a policy against collecting tzedakah!”
He walked in and saw everyone sitting and waiting for Maariv, discussing politics – Will there be a military strike? When? Before Purim? After Purim? He saw all this idle chatter and said: “I won't bother anyone.” He called out: “Rabbotai, I cannot collect money, but may I pose you a riddle? Like Shimshon, let me pose you a riddle.” Who doesn't love a good riddle? So, he proceeded. "There is something that Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows, I know, and you know. There is something that Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows, I know, but you do not know. And there is something that Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows, I do not know, and you do not know. I want an answer before Maariv!"
Everyone began scratching their heads, forgetting all about the Iran strike. They said: “Give us a hint.” He said: “Look at me!” They looked at him from all directions, up and down, but were stumped. The answer was simple, he revealed. “That my shoes are torn, my trousers torn, my coat torn – that everyone sees: Hakadosh Baruch Hu, I, and you. That I haven't eaten in three days – Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows, I know, but you don't know. When I will have a new suit and be able to eat something warm – Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows, I don't know, and you don't know either. That all depends on you. If you give me money, there will be a new suit and something warm to eat; it all depends on you.” That is what Matanot La'evyonim is for – to give tzedakah to the poor.
