T107 PNC - Happy Is He Who Considers the Poor — Poverty of Da'at / Mercy for Seekers (2 segs)

Opening verse: 'Happy is he who considers the poor (dal); on the day of evil, God will deliver him' (Psalms 41:2). The Talmud (Nedarim 41a) teaches: there is no poverty except poverty of the mind (da'at). The verse speaks of considering 'the poor' — but the deepest poverty is not material poverty but intellectual and spiritual poverty: the state of being without da'at, without the deep inner knowing that connects a person to God and to reality. The person who 'considers the poor' is one who takes seriously and responds to those who lack da'at — who lack understanding in the service of the Creator.

For those who lack understanding in divine service, there is a need for great compassion and mercy — no mercy is greater than this. Two aspects: in general, a person who has no comprehension of how to serve the Creator needs someone who possesses intellect to guide and help him understand. The teacher or spiritual guide who provides this is performing an act of supreme chesed. In particular, a person may have some understanding but still lack the inner experience of emotional attachment — even with intellectual grasp, one may still lack the heart-level integration. For such a person too, great rachamim is needed. The 'happy is he who considers the poor' therefore refers to the tzaddik or teacher who lends his da'at and understanding to others — on the day of his own trouble, God will deliver him as reward.