Learning emunah means learning about who Hashem is and how He interacts with us. If we truly want to understand Hashem, we must also learn what His will is. Often, we make assumptions about what Hashem wants, but in most cases, His will is not something we can determine on our own—it must be taught to us. For example, a person might think that giving large amounts of money to tzedakah justifies earning that money even at the expense of hurting others. However, this is entirely against Hashem's will. Withholding money that is rightfully owed to others violates several negative commandments in the Torah. No matter how much tzedakah one gives, it can never justify wrongdoing. The Gemara in Bava Batra states that stealing from a person is worse than stealing from the Beit HaMikdash . In Bava Kama , the Gemara teaches that if a person's ox damages an ox belonging to the Beit HaMikdash , he is exempt from payment. However, if his ox damages another person's ox, he is fully responsible. The Tiferet Shmuel derives from these sugyot that Hashem considers our friend's money even more important than money designated for the Beit HaMikdash . This teaches us that it is Hashem's will for us to be extremely careful with other people's money— even more so than we would be with money designated for holy purposes. Taking from one person and giving that money to charity is not only unjust—it is counterproductive. The greatest tzedakah one can do is conducting business with chesed and ensuring that our fellow Jews can earn a livelihood with dignity. The Rambam lists eight levels of tzedakah , and the highest form is helping someone become self-sufficient. How, then, can a person damage another's livelihood and justify it by giving the money to charity? The Chafetz Chaim , in Ahavat Chesed , writes that the Torah is filled with lessons teaching us to perform chesed . Hashem created us in His image, meaning that we are meant to reflect His middot . Just as Hashem loves to give and help others, we are naturally inclined to do the same. When a person develops a giving nature—both in thought and in action—he emulates Hashem and, in doing so, draws close to Him. Conversely, when someone acts selfishly, stepping on others to raise himself up, he removes the tzelem Elokim within him, thereby distancing himself from Hashem. The purpose of our journey through this world is to accustom ourselves to cling to Hashem in this world so we will be able to bask in the radiance of His Shekhinah in the Next. Hashem is חפץ חסד —He desires that we do chesed for one another. If someone wants to cling to Hashem, he must be careful with other people's money. If ever presented with an opportunity to take advantage of another financially, a person should stop and remind himself: "I want to cling to Hashem. I have the opportunity to do the greatest tzedakah—to help my friend stay on his feet and ensure his business succeeds. That is the will of Hashem, and that is what will make me truly great."