Rav Chaim of Brisk (1853-1918) was visited before Passover by a man with an odd question. The man wanted to know if he could use milk instead of wine for the four cups at the seder. Instead of answering, Rav Chaim gave the man five rubles, an enormous sum. After the man left, the rabbi’s wife asked why he had given the man so much money. Rav Chaim explained: “Since he was asking if he could drink milk instead of wine at the seder, I deduced that he couldn’t afford to buy wine and therefore couldn’t afford meat either. The money was for him to buy everything he needed to celebrate the festival.”
This story teaches that true kindness involves not only giving when asked, but perceiving the needs of others so that they don’t have to ask.
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