Digital Maggid
Another commentary on Numbers 19:20 comes from R’ Yehoshua’le Dzhikover:
פֿאראן מענשען וואָס דענקען דורך דעם וואָס זיי גיבען צדקה, דארפען זיי ניט דאווענען, צדקה שטײט העכער פֿאר דאווענען. זאָגן די חז”ל: ”ציפּה זהב במקום הנחת פּה — פסול!“
- There are those who think that by virtue of what they give in tzedakah (charity), they do not need to daven (pray). But the Sages of Blessed Memory say: “If it is covered in gold at the place where the mouth is applied — it is invalid.”
This is a slight misquote from the Talmud, Tractate Rosh Hashana 27a. It should read: ציפּהו זהב במקום הנחת פּיו פּסול. It is from a discussion of the particular type of shofar that can be used to fulfill the requirements of the Rosh Hashana shofar service. It is saying, in essence, that the shofar used in that particular service cannot have a gold-plated mouth piece.
