מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה לְיָדְךָ אַל תַּחְמִיצֶנָה Adina Broder

When you have the chance to do a mitzvah… Don’t delay doing it

Shira, I hear Bubby working in the kitchen. Please go help her. I’ll help her the next time, Imma. I want to finish reading this chapter.

You should help her this time. After all, מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה לְיָדְךָ אַל תַּחְמִיצֶנָה What does that mean? I’ll explain it to you after you help Bubby.

(after Shira helped her Bubby) 15 Minutes Later (after Shira helped her Bubby)

מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה לְיָדְךָ אַל תַּחְמִיצֶנָה Any idea what that means? So before I said מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה לְיָדְךָ אַל תַּחְמִיצֶנָה Any idea what that means? Not really.

Let’s take it phrase by phrase: מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה לְיָדְךָ What does that mean? A mitzvah that comes to your hand?

Right! That means when you have the chance to do a mitzvah.

Now the next phrase: אַל תַּחְמִיצֶנָה What do you think that means? Don’t…don’t do something.

the word תַּחְמִיצֶנָה sound like? Yes. What does the word תַּחְמִיצֶנָה sound like? It sounds like it has the word chometz in it.

Yes, it does! So when you have the chance to do a mitzvah, don’t let it become chometz ? Huh?

Do you remember that flour and water become chometz by waiting? Something like that. Do you remember that flour and water become chometz by waiting? Yes. Waiting more than 18 minutes.

Right! So here Chazal are telling us that when you have the chance to do a mitzvah, you shouldn’t wait to do it. Instead do it right away. I think I understand.

So if Bubby needs help, I should do it right away. Yes! And if I find something that someone lost, I should try to return it right away. Right! And if a friend is sick, I should do bikur cholim as soon as I can. You got it!

Bye, Imma. I gotta run… Where are you going? I promised Malki I’d help her with the Chumash homework. I don’t want to delay doing that mitzvah! I’m proud of you, Shira.

מִצְוָה הַבָּאָה לְיָדְךָ אַל תַּחְמִיצֶנָה When you have the chance to do a mitzvah, don’t delay, doing it