Prioritizing Our Giving
User Profile Picture
ByAJWS Staff
Collection Logo
AJWS On1Foot
Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 49B
Translation Original
Our Sages taught: Gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness) is greater than tzedakah in three ways: Acts of tzedakah involve only one’s money – gemilut chasadim can involve both money or one’s personal service. Tzedakah can be given only to the poor – gemilut chasadim can be done both for the rich and for the poor. Tzedakah can be given only to the living – gemilut chasadim can be done both for the living and the dead.
תנו רבנן: בשלשה דברים גדולה גמילות חסדים יותר מן הצדקה, צדקה - בממונו, גמילות חסדים - בין בגופו בין בממונו. צדקה - לעניים, גמילות חסדים - בין לעניים בין לעשירים. צדקה - לחיים, גמילות חסדים - בין לחיים בין למתים.
Discussion Questions:

1. Do you agree acts of loving kindness are better than gifts of tzedakah? Why?
2. In what ways can acts of loving kindness be done for the wealthy? Why is this important?
3. Can volunteering your time count as loving kindness, tzedakah or both?

Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 250:1
כמה נותנין לעני, די מחסורו אשר יחסר לו. כיצד, אם היה רעב, יאכילוהו. היה צריך לכסות, יכסוהו. אין לו כלי בית, קונה לו כלי בית...וכן לכל אחד ואחד לפי מה שצריך.
Shulchan_Arukh,_Yoreh_De'ah.250.1
How much is it appropriate to give to the poor? ‘Sufficient for his needs in that which he lacks.’ If he is hungry, one must feed him. If he needs clothing, one must clothe him. If he lacks housing utensils, one must provide him with housing utensils… To each person according to what he needs.
Discussion Questions:

1. What tools can we use to help people with diverse needs?
2. Is this task easier or harder in modern cities than it would have been in biblical times?

Tur, Yoreh De'ah 251
יורה דעה רנ״א:י׳
מי שבא ואומר האכילוני אין בודקין אחריו אם הוא רמאי אלא מאכילים אותו מיד היה ערום ובא ואמר כסוני בודקין אחריו אם הוא רמאי.
Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 251:10
One who comes and says, "Feed me," we don't investigate to see if he is deceiving, rather we feed him immediately. If he were naked and comes and says, "Clothe me," we investigate to see if he is deceiving.
Discussion Questions:

1. Is the need for food different than clothes or other needs?
2. Is there a hierarchy of what we should support?
3. What are the positive and negative effects of such a hierarchy?

BabylonianTalmud, Baba Metzia 71a
בבא מציעא ע״א א:ג׳
עמי ונכרי - עמי קודם, עני ועשיר - עני קודם, ענייך ועניי עירך - ענייך קודמין, עניי עירך ועניי עיר אחרת - עניי עירך קודמין.
Bava Metzia 71a:3
[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.
Discussion Questions:

1. Is it right to attend to the needs of some over the needs of others?
2. Do you agree with this set of prioritizations?

BabylonianTalmud, Gittin 61a
גיטין ס״א א:ה׳
ת"ר: מפרנסים עניי נכרים עם עניי ישראל, ומבקרין חולי נכרים עם חולי ישראל, וקוברין מתי נכרים עם מתי ישראל, מפני דרכי שלום.
Gittin 61a:5
Our Rabbis taught: We sustain the non-Jewish poor with the Jewish poor, visit the non-Jewish sick with the Jewish sick, and bury the non-Jewish dead with the Jewish dead, for the sake of peace.
Discussion Questions:

1. How do we reconcile this text with the previous text? Does this change any of your previous answers?
2. What does the "for the sake of peace" mean?