As Passover approaches, the traditional Kimcha DePischa initiative—meant to provide food for the needy—once again comes under public scrutiny. This time, the matter is brought into sharp focus by a powerful message from Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, head of the “Shuva Yisrael” community, who calls for a fundamental shift in how this sacred assistance is carried out.
“We remember how we used to distribute Kimcha DePischa in Kiryat Malachi,” Rabbi Pinto recounted. “We would see people arriving in Mercedes cars, picking up boxes. It became a kind of ritual—people simply showing up to take. But this is meant for the impoverished. If you’re wealthy—give. Don’t take.”
The rabbi emphasized that the obligation to participate in Kimcha DePischa is grounded in Jewish law, as stated in the Shulchan Aruch, which requires any resident of a city—or even one intending to settle there—to contribute. “But we must distribute it properly,” he urged. “Not as a formality, but as real help for those who genuinely lack food for Passover.”
Rabbi Pinto also criticized the practice of community organizers or charity managers approaching individuals with fixed donation demands: “Some say, ‘Give 18, give 26, give 50 shekels.’ But what if the person has nothing? What can he give? Giving must come from the heart. We have no pricing table, no official method, no strict guidelines. Everything must be done for the sake of Heaven.”
He further denounced any form of coercion or pressure in charitable giving: “For 32 years, never once have we told someone, ‘You must do this.’ Anyone who does so acts like Gehazi—it pushes people away from God. That’s not our path. If someone can give, let them give—and let them be blessed for it. But everything must be done with holiness, with sincerity.”
Rabbi Pinto concluded his remarks with a heartfelt call to all those engaged in acts of kindness: “We give of ourselves for the sake of Heaven. This must be about sacred Torah values. And when it is, the blessing from God will follow.”
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel