The needs of the festival include making sure that husbands are able to fulfill their obligation to make their wives joyful during the festivals, through purchasing clothes and adornments for them.
Women’s Donation—A Higher Form of Tzedakah
We should emphasize the role of women in giving tzedakah, for in fact, the tzedakah of a woman can often surpass that of a man.
Attain Perfection
Practically speaking, since action is the main thing, undoubtedly, everyone has already fulfilled his obligation to provide Pesach requirements for the needy, in addition to his general obligation to give tzedakah. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that some still need to complete—“lehashlim,” as in “mashlim,” to make up for any lack in—their donations of Maos Chitim. Furthermore, everyone is able, and should, perfect—“lehashlim,” as in “shleimus,” reach a state of perfection in—their contributions… For that reason, we will now make everyone here an agent for tzedakah, as is customary; but this time, the tzedakah should specifically be given to funding Maos Chitim in preparation for our announcement at the opening of the Seder, “All who are hungry… needy… come in and make the Seder.”
He Can’t Eat a Coin
As the Talmud states, “A woman is commonly found in her home. There, she gives a [ready-to-eat] piece of bread to a pauper [who goes from house to house]. Thus, his benefit [from her tzedakah] is immediate.” This is not the case with the monetary tzedakah that a man usually donates; he is normally away from home during the day, and when he meets a pauper, he simply gives him a coin—which the hungry pauper must first convert into food in order to benefit from the donation.
It was for this very reason that women and girls participated in the special gathering… for tzedakah donors, which was recently held (in 5743/1983), in order to promote and encourage additional donations and much greater energy in giving tzedakah.
