(טז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמוֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לָךְ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַּעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֶּם לָךְ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתָךְ. וְדַע, מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא:
(16) It is not your responsibility to finish the work, neither are you free to desist from it. If you have learned much, your reward will be much; and the master of your work is trustworthy to pay you the wage for your activity. The giving of reward to the righteous is in the future to come.
From the website Tzedakaheveryday.org
If there be among you a needy person, you shall not harden your heart, but you shall surely open your hand. (Deuteronomy 15:7)
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill
"The giving of tzedakah and acts of loving kindness (gemilut hasadim) are equal in value to all of the commandments in the Torah." (Tosefta Peah 4.19)
Questions to consider:
1) How is Pirke Avot 2:16 applicable to our daily work?
2) What role does Tzedakah play for the giver?
3) How important is the manner in which we give?
4) Which is more important: the act of giving or the result?