Some texts on poverty

ByAJWS Staff

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Tur, Yoreh De'ah 247

מצות עשה ליתן צדקה כפי השגת ידו ומאד מאד צריך אדם ליזהר בה יותר מכל מצות עשה כי איפשר שיבא לידי שפיכות דמים שימות העני המבקש אם לא יתן לו מיד ...ואל יעלה בלבו עצה לומר איך אחסר ממוני ליתנו לעניים כי יש לו לדעת שאין הממון שלו אלא פקדון לעשות בו רצון המפקיד וזה רצונו שיחלק לעניים ממנו וזהו החלק הטובה שיהיה לו ממנו כדכתיב והלך לפניך צדקך.

Shulchan_Arukh,_Yoreh_De'ah.247

It is a positive commandment to give tzedakah according to your capacity. And you must be very careful regarding this mitzvah, more so than with any other positive commandment, for it is possible to wind up shedding blood [by neglecting it], since a poor person may die if you do not give him [what he needs] right away....You should not start thinking, “How can I possibly reduce my wealth by giving to the poor?!” Rather, you should understand that the wealth is not yours, but rather a trust that you must use to carry out the will of the One who has entrusted it to you. And it is the will of that Provider of that trust that you distribute a part of it to the poor. Indeed [that which you distribute] is the best part of your wealth, as it says, "Your tzedakah will proceed before you." (Isaiah 58:8) [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. In what way is tzedakah giving more important than any other mitzvah?
2. This text stipulates that our wealth is not ours, but God's. What is the significance of this and our continual desire to own more stuff?
3. This text suggests that we are only allowed to our wealth once we've given a portion of it to the poor. What is your response to this line of thinking?

Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 9:1

Translation	Original
When R. Joshua ben Levi went to Rome, he saw marble pillars there which had been carefully covered with wrappings to keep them from cracking during the heat and freezing in the cold. At the same time, he saw a poor man who had no more than a reed mat under him and a reed mat over him to protect him from the elements. [AJWS translation]	ר' יהושע בן לוי סליק לרומי וראה שם עמודים של שייש מכורכים בקיטיות, בשרב שלא יפקעו ובצינה שלא יקרשו, וראה שם עני אחד מחצלת קנים מתחתיו ומחצלת של קנים מעל גביו.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What is the criticism of Rome here?
3. In what ways could the same criticism be made of our society? Of our global community?

Mishna, Pirkei Avot 2:10

רבי אליעזר אומר יהי כבוד חברך חביב עליך כשלך.

Pirkei_Avot.2.10

Rabbi Eliezer said, "Other people’s dignity should be as precious to you as your own." [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. In what ways can we, as individuals, follow this more in our daily lives?
3. In what ways can we, as a society, follow this more in our policies - both foreign and domestic?

Midrash Tannaim, Deuteronomy 15:8

די מחסרו -הרי שפגע בעני חייב להשלים לו חסרונו שנ' " די מחסרו" לא היתה יד הנותן משגת נותן לו כפי השגת ידו וכמה? עד חומש נכסיו -מצוה מן המובחר, ואחד מעשרה בנכסיו- בינוני, פחות מיכן- עין רעה:

Deuteronomy.15.8

"Sufficient" - If one encounters a poor person, one is obligated to fulfill his needs, as it says: "sufficient." If the giver doesn't have enough, he should give according to his ability. How much? Up to one-fifth of one's property, the choicest form of the commandment; one-tenth of one's property, average; less than that, selfish. [Aaron Levy translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. How much money would you need to give in order to be considered average? How much do you actually give?

Exodus Rabbah 31:12

שמות רבה ל״א:י״ב-י״ג

אין בעולם קשה מן העניות שהוא קשה מכל יסורין שבעולם. אמרו רבותינו כל היסורין לצד אחד והעניות לצד אחד .מי שהוא עשיר ויש לו קרוב עני אינו מודה בו, רואה קרובו נטמן מפניו שהוא מתבייש להשיח עמו לפי שהוא עני.

Shemot Rabbah 31:12-13

There is nothing in the world more grievous than poverty; it is the most terrible of all sufferings. Our sages have said: If all troubles were assembled on one side and poverty on the other, [poverty would outweigh them all]. When a man is rich and has a poor relative, he does not acknowledge him; for when he sees his poor relation, he hides himself from him, being ashamed to speak to him, because he is poor. [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. Where does the rich man's shame come from? How can his shame be expunged in order that he might help his relative?
3. Have you ever experienced this kind of shame - either as one who was in need of help or as one who could offer help? What would have made the experience easier?

BabylonianTalmud, Brachot 19b (Human Dignity)

ברכות י״ט ב:ט׳

תא שמע: גדול כבוד הבריות שדוחה [את] לא תעשה שבתורה.

Berakhot 19b:9

Come and learn: Human dignity is so important that it supersedes even a biblical prohibition. [Soncino translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What happens when human dignity is not a priority, such that this text makes it the most important thing?

Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 14a

סוטה י״ד א:ג׳-ד׳

ואמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא, מאי דכתיב( דברים יג) אחרי ה' אלהיכם תלכו? וכי אפשר לו לאדם להלך אחר שכינה? והלא כבר נאמר (דברים ד) כי ה' אלהיך אש אוכלה הוא! אלא להלך אחר מדותיו של הקב"ה, מה הוא מלביש ערומים, דכתיב( בראשית ג) ויעש ה' אלהים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור וילבישם, אף אתה הלבש ערומים; הקב"ה ביקר חולים, דכתיב( בראשית יח) וירא אליו ה' באלוני ממרא, אף אתה בקר חולים; הקב"ה ניחם אבלים, דכתיב( בראשית כה) ויהי אחרי מות אברהם ויברך אלהים את יצחק בנו, אף אתה נחם אבלים; הקב"ה קבר מתים, דכתיב( דברים לד) ויקבר אותו בגיא, אף אתה קבור מתים.

Sotah 14a:3-4

R. Hama son of R. Hanina further said: What means the text: "You shall walk after God" (Deuteronomy 13)? Is it, then, possible for a human being to walk after God; for has it not been said: "For God is a devouring fire" (Deuteronomy 4)? But [the meaning is] to walk after the attributes of the Holy One. Just as God clothes the naked, as it says, "And God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them" (Genesis 3), so do you also clothe the naked. The Holy One, blessed be God, visited the sick, for it is written: "And God appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre" (Genesis 18), so do you also visit the sick. The Holy One, blessed be God, comforted mourners, for it is written: "And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son" (Genesis 25), so do you also comfort mourners. The Holy one, blessed be God, buried the dead, for it is written: "And God buried him in the valley" (Deuteronomy 34), so do you also bury the dead. [Soncino translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What are other attributes of God that we are meant to follow?
2. How would God respond to the injustice in the world today? Based on your answer, what should we do?

Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 151b

שבת קנ״א ב:י״ד

אמר לה רבי חייא לדביתהו כי אתי עניא אקדימי ליה ריפתא כי היכי דלקדמו לבניך אמרה ליה מילט קא לייטת להו אמר לה קרא קא כתיב כי בגלל הדבר הזה ותנא דבי רבי ישמעאל גלגל הוא שחוזר בעולם

Shabbat 151b:14

R. Hiyya said to his wife: "When a poor man comes, be quick to offer him bread, so that others may be quick to offer it to your children." She said "You are cursing them [our children]!" He replied, "It is written in the Torah: 'because of [bigelal] this thing', as the School of R. Ishmael taught: It is a wheel [galgal] that revolves in the world." [Soncino translation, edited for readability and accuracy]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What do you make of Rabbi Hiyya's wife's response? What do you think the next line of the dialogue might be?
2. How would you describe Rabbi Hiyya's attitude to his own grandchildren? To the poor?
3. What does this text say about our influence on the future of those near to us? Far from us?

Proverbs 31:5-9

פֶּן יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח מְחֻקָּק וִישַׁנֶּה דִּין כָּל בְּנֵי עֹנִי: תְּנוּ שֵׁכָר לְאוֹבֵד וְיַיִן לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ: יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח רִישׁוֹ וַעֲמָלוֹ לֹא יִזְכָּר עוֹד: פְּתַח פִּיךָ לְאִלֵּם אֶל דִּין כָּל בְּנֵי חֲלוֹף: פְּתַח פִּיךָ שְׁפָט צֶדֶק וְדִין עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן:

Proverbs.31.5-9

Lest they drink and forget what has been ordained, and infringe on the rights of the poor. Give strong drink to the hapless and wine to the embittered. Let them drink and forget their poverty, and put their troubles out of mind. Speak up for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?

Proverbs 11:24-25

יֵשׁ מְפַזֵּר וְנוֹסָף עוֹד וְחוֹשֵׂךְ מִיֹּשֶׁר אַךְ לְמַחְסוֹר: נֶפֶשׁ בְּרָכָה תְדֻשָּׁן וּמַרְוֶה גַּם הוּא יוֹרֶא:

Proverbs.11.24-25

One man gives generously and ends with more. Another stints on doing the right thing and incurs a loss. A generous person enjoys prosperity; he who satisfies others shall himself be sated. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?