Proponents of charity have long extolled the virtues of giving, suggesting that there is a reciprocal quality when we give to others. The adages are well known: “To give is to receive,” “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” “We rise by lifting others,” etc.
The Torah was, I think, the first to suggest this perspective. The word for “give” in the Torah is natan. It is a simple three letter palindrome (the same letters, whether read forward or backward) – teaching us that giving is reciprocal. In pure form, the very first “giving” in the Torah is after the Flood (Gen. 9:12), when G-d tells Noah, This is the sign that I give as the covenant between Me and you, and every living creature with you, for all ages to come. A covenant, a mutual agreement, is the first act of conscious reciprocity in the text, and it suggests that G-d is also a beneficiary of the relationship with mankind.
The longest single word palindrome in the Torah reinforces this point: venatnu, וְנָתְנוּ, appears 14 times in the text. It is the same forwards and backwards because when you give, you receive in turn. The greatest way in which one can receive satisfaction and fulfillment in life, is through giving of oneself to others. Each appearance of this word in the text contains the element of mutual gain, of co-investment between each party. Investing in each other is a way, after all, to build, support, and develop relationships.
And the longest two-word palindrome is when Eisav brought a portion of food to his father Yitzchak (Gen 27:31), ‘vayavei leaviv’,וַיָּבֵ֖א לְאָבִ֑יו. Think of the overtones! A father properly cares for his son (having invested from conception), so when the son gives back to his father, it adds reinforcing layers of bilateral love and investment.
P.S. In conjugated forms, the first two uses of natan (Gen. 1:17/29) are the placements of light and the giving of plants to mankind – both are also arguably reciprocal as well, since G-d benefits from an enlightened world, and the elevation of flora and fauna back toward the heavens.
P.P.S. Unlike many of my posts (which are more original), the basic idea of “giving” as a palindrome, offered above, has been well known within Judaism for centuries. I was inspired to this post by Rabbi Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.