Do Not Hide Yourself | Our Torah &  Messiah's Call To Feed The Hungry

Introduction: The Cry of Your Brother's Blood

The wind whips down the city canyon, finding its way through a threadbare jacket. Sarah pulls her children closer, not for warmth alone, but for the comfort of touch in a world that looks through her. The gnawing in their stomachs is a constant prayer, one they don’t even have the words to utter. In another part of the city, an elderly man named Ben sorts through a bin, not as a hobby, but as a means of survival. He is a man, made in the tzelem Elohim (image of G-d), and yet he is invisible to many.

Their cry is not a new one. It is the cry of Abel’s blood from the ground. It is the cry that Adonai heard from the Israelites in slavery. And it is a cry to which He has already given us a response. The Torah commands us, "Do not stand idly by while your neighbor’s blood is shed" (Vayikra/Leviticus 19:16). But it also instructs us, "Do not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother. Rather, you must open your hand to him..." (Devarim/Deuteronomy 15:7-8). We hear the cry. Now, we must open our hands.

The Torah's Command: Love Expressed Through Action

Our faith is built on a foundation of righteous action—tzedakah. It is not a suggestion but a core principle of how we relate to G-d and to our neighbor.

· From the Prophets: "Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of wickedness... Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 58:6-7).

The prophet Isaiah cuts to the heart of the matter. Our most pious acts, our prayers and fasts, are meaningless to G-d if we simultaneously ignore the suffering of those around us. True worship is practical. It is sharing our bread, our homes, and our resources. The application for us is direct: supporting a local food pantry is a form of worship. Donating to a shelter is an act of righteousness. We are fulfilling the fast G-d truly desires.

The Example of Our Messiah: Yeshua's Compassionate Response

Yeshua lived and breathed this Torah principle of compassionate action. His entire ministry was a manifestation of the Father's heart for the broken, the poor, and the outcast.

· From the Gospels: "Then Yeshua called His disciples and said, 'I have compassion on the crowd because they have stayed with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint on the way.'" (Mattityahu/Matthew 15:32).

This verse reveals the very heart of our Messiah: proactive, practical compassion. He didn't wait for the crowds to ask. He saw their need and was moved to act. The miracle of the loaves and fishes that followed was born from this initial compassion. In our everyday lives, this teaches us to be proactive. We don't need to wait to be asked. We can look for the need in our communities and allow the compassion of Yeshua to move us to action, trusting Him to multiply our offerings.

· From the Gospels: "Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat...’" (Mattityahu/Matthew 25:34-35).

Yeshua makes the stunning declaration that how we treat the "least of these" is how we treat Him. When we feed someone who is hungry, we are literally serving Messiah. This transforms every act of kindness from mere charity into a profound spiritual encounter. It elevates our service into the realm of the sacred.

Our Shared Mission: Becoming a Community of Givers

We are the body of Messiah, called to be a community that reflects His character. This is not a task for a few but a mission for all of us.

How Can We Live This Out?

· Support Ministries on the Front Lines: Partner with Messianic and Christian outreaches that are faithfully serving the hungry every day. Your support empowers them to be the hands that distribute the bread.

· See the Individual: When you see someone in need, offer a meal, a gift card, or a bottle of water. Look them in the eye, learn their name, and affirm their dignity as a person beloved by G-d.

· Pray with Purpose: Pray for the hungry by name if you know them. Pray for the volunteers and donors, that they would not grow weary. Pray for wisdom for our leaders to enact just policies.

An Invitation to Faithful Action

Dear Chevra (community),

The need can feel overwhelming, but our G-d is the God of the impossible. He has given us a clear path in His Word: to open our hands and not hide ourselves from the need around us.

We invite you to join this holy work, not out of obligation, but as a joyful response to the compassion we have received from our Messiah.

· Would you pray? Lift up those who are hungry and the ministries that serve them. Pray that through our actions, they would taste and see that Adonai is good (Psalm 34:8).

· Would you share? Share this message of hope and responsibility. Help us spread the word that this is a core part of our mission as believers.

· Would you give? If you are able, your financial gift is more than a donation; it is an act of tzedakah—a righteous deed that fulfills the commands of Torah and the example of Yeshua. It is a way to literally feed the Messiah Himself.

Thank you for being a community that seeks to live out the Word with compassion and action. Together, we can be the answer to the prayer for daily bread.

In the service of our Compassionate King,

[Kohathite.com]