מוסר אויף משלי 22:9

“Give to him readily and have no regrets when you give to him” (Deuteronomy 15:10). We were warned with this to distance our souls from miserliness, but rather to be generous - like the matter that is stated (Proverbs 22:9), “The generous man is blessed.” And it is not enough with the gifts of our hands, but we must rather plant the trait of generosity into our souls. Therefore, it warned and said, “and have no regrets,” after it is stated, “Give to him readily.”

But sometimes eating is mystically tied to sacrifices, like the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Berakhot 55a), "And now, the table of a person atones." And that is in place of a sacrifice. And the idea is that eating has the physical and spiritual in it, as I cited before (s.v. OuDevar Zeh) in the name of the divine ARI, may his memory be blessed, the understanding of the verse: from everything that comes out of the mouth of the Lord, a person lives (Deuteronomy 8:3): According to this, the connection between the soul and the body is through food, the spirituality of the food strengthens the power of the soul, and the materiality of the food strengthens the power of the body. The two of them are connected, just like the hidden soul inside the body. Through this, the body is sanctified and clings to the soul, while the body, which is the holder and container of the soul, then connects the book container with the book. And this is on condition [that] the righteous eats to satisfy his soul [alluding to Proverbs 13:25]. What I mean to say is that one is exacting in his eating, that it is from that which is permissible in his mouth and that there is no doubt or concern of a prohibition in it; and he only eats for his sustenance, and his purpose in it is to serve his Creator, to occupy himself with Torah [study] and commandments. And, also, that he gives to the poor from his bread [alluding to Proverbs 22:9], as will be explained later on at length. Then it is called a commanded meal; in this aspect, he is commanded to eat. For all of his eating is [then] an atoning altar, like a sacrifice, as per the below. But to know good and evil, the secret is [that] if it is desirable to [eat], etc. [alluding to Genesis 3:6], you shall not eat [it]. Rather, the purpose of the creation of man, who was made in [God's] likeness and image, was that the creation be similar to the Maker, as it were; to become similar to Him in all of his ways, as it is written: You are godlike beings (Psalms 82:6). So the food they should eat should be with the secret of the sacrifice, such that his eatings become sanctified.

There is great benefit to the hosts of a feast in the eating of the poor that are invited to participate. This is completely analogous to the case of a sacrifice in which the Kohanim eat and the owner receives atonement. Moreover, let him be generous towards them so that to him may be applied the verse, “One with a generous eye, he will be blessed” (Mishlei 22:9).