To the Editor,

Yom Tov season is upon us, and the pace of life takes another step up. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos come with enormous beauty and enormous expense. Before we all get swept into our own preparations, I’d like to bring two things to people’s attention.

The first is money.

For families already under pressure, every grocery bill and every clothing store receipt this time of year adds to a weight that’s already there. A father or mother who is stretched thin can feel like something unbearable is being put on them, and it doesn’t let up until after Simchas Torah.

If you’re in a position to help someone, whether it’s a brother, a sister, a parent, a child, a cousin, or a neighbor, consider doing it.

And if you’re not sure how to give without embarrassing the person, that isn’t a reason to hold back. Give it to a Rov, or to someone who knows them, and let it get there that way. You can also just hand it over and say, “I have extra. Use it, or pass it on to someone who can.” Not knowing the mechanics shouldn’t stop anybody from giving.

One more thing on this. Do it now. Money that comes today saves a person weeks of lying awake. The same money the day before Yom Tov saves them one night.

The second is invitations.

There are people in every community with nowhere to be. Singles, divorced, widowed, people whose family lives far away, people who aren’t in touch with their family at all. Yom Tov is coming and they have no answer to a basic question, which is where will I eat and where will I sleep.

If you can host someone, invite them early and invite them specifically. “You’re always welcome by us” is kind, but it doesn’t settle anything. The person is still checking the calendar and still doing the math in their head. An invitation with an actual meal and an actual day attached to it puts that to rest.

You can’t guarantee that every Yom Tov meal will be pleasant for every guest. But you can spare someone the weeks of not knowing, and that alone is worth doing.

Neither of these things takes much. Both are worth a great deal more now than they’ll be worth in three weeks.

Kesiva V’Chasima Tova to the entire klal yistoel

M.D

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