Dorot Reunion, 2009
Elie Kaunfer and Lisa Exler
"To give away money is an easy matter and in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large, and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man's power nor an easy matter." -Aristotle
As you study the texts below, please consider the following questions:
- What factors do these texts take into account when discussing tzedakah allocation?
- What values and priorities do these texts express vis a vis tzedakah allocation?
- Which of these values resonate with you and which of them challenge you? Why?
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| Translation | Original |
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| R. Joseph learnt: If you lend money to any of my people that are poor with you: [this teaches, if the choice lies between] a Jew and a non-Jew, a Jew has preference; the poor or the rich the poor takes precedence; your poor [i.e. your relatives] and the [general] poor of your town, your poor come first; the poor of your city and the poor of another town the poor of your own town have prior rights. [Soncino translation] | דתני רב יוסף (שמות כ"ב) אם כסף תלוה את עמי את העני עמך, עמי ונכרי - עמי קודם, עני ועשיר - עני קודם, ענייך ועניי עירך - ענייך קודמין, עניי עירך ועניי עיר אחרת - עניי עירך קודמין |
- What hierarchy of responsibility does this text set up?
- What role does relationship play in the hierarchy?
| Translation | Original |
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| A person who dwells in a city for thirty days is forced to give tzedakah to the Kupah (community fund that feeds the resident poor with a weekly food allocation) with the rest of the residents of the city. If he dwelt there three months they force him to give to the Tamhui (public soup kitchen for any hungry person). If he dwelt there six months they force him to give tzedakah for clothing to clothe the poor. If he dwelt there nine months they force him to give tzedakah for the burial fund which provides all the burial requirements for the poor. |
מי שישב במדינה שלשים יום כופין אותו ליתן צדקה לקופה עם בני המדינה, ישב שם שלשה חדשים כופין אותו ליתן התמחוי, ישב שם ששה חדשים כופין אותו ליתן צדקה בכסות שמכסים בה עניי העיר, ישב שם תשעה חדשים כופין אותו ליתן צדקה לקבורה שקוברין בה את העניים ועושין להם כל צרכי קבורה.
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What can you infer from this text about the relationship between length of time in a community and level of responsibility to provide for communal needs?
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The following 4 texts express a range of perspectives on what "counts" as tzedakah.
- Do you agree or disagree with the distinctions (or lack thereof) made by these texts?
- Do you think it's important to distinguish between tzedakah and philanthropy? Why or Why not?
| Original |
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The “needy” who receive tzedakah have also come to be defined as the educationally, emotionally, and spiritually hungry as well as those who literally cry out for bread
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| Translation | Original |
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| (Commenting on Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg’s permission to use money designated for the poor to purchase books for study or to be lent to others.) One can say that he permits this because the books will be lent for study to those who need them, and anyone who needs these books is considered poor, insofar as this person lacks them. This is like distributing spiritual food, and is no less desirable than distributing physical food to those who need it...I have seen an opinion that...one may certainly use this money to buy books for the children of the poor, for providing spiritual food to the poor is also considered to be tzedakah. [translation by Rabbi Jill Jacobs] |
וזה שמתיר במהר"ם שם לקנות מהכסף גם ספרים ללמוד בהם ולהשאילן לאחרים, יש לומר דהוא זה גם כן מפני שישאילם לנצרכים ללמוד בהם שכל הנצרך להם עני הוא בחסר לו זה והר"ז כמספק לו מזון רוחני שאין זה גרוע ממספק מזון גשמי לחסר לו . . . וראי' להאמור יש להביא מדברי ספר בית דינו של שלמה חיו"ד סי' א' שכותב דאבל לקנות ספרים לבני עניים זה ודאי דבא מן המעשר, שכ"כ הרב שכה"ג עיי"ש. והיינו מפני שהמצאת מזון רוחני לעניים ג"כ לנתינת צדקה תחשב וכנ"ז
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| Original |
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Ladies
The season has again arrived when we are amenable to renew our efforts for the relief of those who need aid from their fellow sojourners in this world of many wants and many sufferings—and while we feebly put forth a diminished strength to relieve the cravings of nature we would suggest the wish that our abilities might be directed to a more pressing need—the mental impoverishment of those who are rising to take their place among the thousands of Israel scattered throughout the facilities of the earth. . . . The want of education shuts the door of advancement into private or public nations—which an Israelite might obtain in this country
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| Translation | Original |
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| And any who sees a poor person begging and hides his eyes and does not give him charity transgresses a negative commandment, as it says (Deuteronomy 15:7), “Do not harden your heart or close your hand from your poor brother.” [AJWS translation] | וכל הרואה עני מבקש והעלים עיניו ממנו ולא נתן לו צדקה עבר בלא תעשה שנאמר (דברים טו:ז) לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפוץ את ידך מאחיך האביון. |
והחזקת בו - אל תניחהו שירד ויפול ויהיה קשה להקימו, אלא חזקהו משעת מוטת היד. למה זה דומה, למשאוי שעל החמור, עודהו על החמור אחד תופס בו ומעמידו, נפל לארץ, חמשה אין מעמידין אותו:
Do not let him slip down until he falls completely, for then it will be difficult to raise him; rather, strengthen him as he begins to fall. To what is this comparable? To a burden upon an donkey. While it is still on the donkey, one person can hold it and set it in place. If it falls to the earth, even five people cannot set it back. [AJWS translation]
What tension do the previous two texts set up between addressing immediate needs and addressing root causes of poverty?
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