How Are We Obligated to Feed the Hungry?

How Are We Obligated to Feed the Hungry?

How Are We Obligated to Feed the Hungry?

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. [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What is the author's reasoning here for when to investigate requests for help?
2. What power dynamics are at play in this text?
3. What realities would exist to make the author write this? What realities exist today?

Babylonian Talmud, Derech Eretz 7:25

Translation	Original
Always be happy when you are sitting at your table and those who are hungry are enjoying your hospitality, in order to lengthen your days in this world and the World to Come. [AJWS Translation]	והוי שמח על שולחנך, בשעה שהרעבין באין ונהנין על שולחנך, כדי שתאריך ימים בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why should you be happy when you are feeding the hungry?
2. Why does feeding the hungry at your table lengthen your days in this world and the next?
3. Have you ever fed the hungry? How did it make you feel? Why?

Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 256:1

כל עיר שיש בה ישראל חייבין להעמיד מהן גבאי צדקה ידועים ונאמנים שיהו מחזירין על העם מערב שבת לערב שבת ולוקחין מכל אחד מהן מה שהוא ראוי ליתן ודבר הקצוב עליהן והן מחלקין המעות מערב שבת לע"ש ונותנין לכל עני ועני מזונות המספיקין לשבעת הימים והוא הנקרא קופה של צדקה.

Shulchan_Arukh,_Yoreh_De'ah.256.1

In every city in which there are Jews, they are obligated to appoint of themselves tzedakah collectors who are known to the community and trustworthy. These collectors would return to the community each week and collect from every person the amount that is fitting for that person to give. They then distribute the monies each week and give each and every poor person food that will last them for seven days. This is called the tzedakah fund. [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What goal does the tzedakah fund accomplish that individual donors could not do themselves?
2. This text does not call for a collection of donations, but rather for a group to collect mandated amounts. What is the significance of this detail?
3. What can we learn about tzedakah giving from this text - on local, national and international levels?

Avot d’Rabbi Natan 7:1

Translation

Original

When that great calamity came upon Job, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, did I not feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty. . . ? And did I not clothe the naked?" Nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job: ''Job, you have not yet reached even half the measure of Abraham. You sit and stay in your house and the wayfarers come in to you. To him who is accustomed to eat wheat bread, you give wheat bread to eat; to him who is accustomed to eat meat, you give meat to eat; to him who is accustomed to drink wine, you give wine to drink. But Abraham did not act in this way. Instead, he would go out and around everywhere, and when he found wayfarers, he brought them into his house. To him who was unaccustomed to eat wheat bread, he gave wheat bread to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to eat meat, he gave meat to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to drink wine, he gave wine to drink. And more than that, he arose and built large mansions on the highways and left food and drink there, and every passerby ate and drank and blessed Heaven. That is why delight of spirit was given to him. [AJWS translation]

וכשבא עליו ההוא פורענות גדול, אמר לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא: - ריבנו של עולם, לא הייתי מאכיל רעבים ומשקה צמאים? שנאמר: (איוב לא) "ואוכל פתי לבדי ולא אכל יתום ממנה". - ולא הייתי מלביש ערומים? שנאמר: (שם) "ומגז כבשי יתחמם". אף על פי כן אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לאיוב: איוב, עדיין לא הגעת לחצי שיעור של אברהם. אתה יושב ושוהה בתוך ביתך, ואורחין נכנסים אצלך. את שדרכו לאכול פת חטים האכלתו פת חטים, את שדרכו לאכול בשר האכלתו בשר, את שדרכו לשתות יין השקיתו יין. אבל אברהם לא עשה כן. אלא יוצא ומהדר בעולם, וכשימצא אורחין מכניסן בתוך ביתו. את שאין דרכו לאכול פת חטין, האכילהו פת חטין. את שאין דרכו לאכול בשר, האכילהו בשר. ואת שאין דרכו לשתות יין, השקהו יין. ולא עוד אלא עמד ובנה פלטרין גדולים על הדרכים, והניח מאכל ומשקה. וכל הבא ונכנס, אכל ושתה וברך לשמים. לפיכך נעשית לו נחת רוח.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What are the differences between Job and Abraham? Which do you feel more similar to?
2. How can we build mansions on the road with food and drink for the weary?
3. In what ways can we follow this model in our own lives? What are the obstacles in our way and how can we navigate around those obstacles?

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. [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. What is the extent of this law - how do we gauge how much is enough?
2. What is the minimum amount we are to give?

Psalms, 37:25

נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַּם זָקַנְתִּי וְלֹא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ לָחֶם

I have been young and am now old, but I have never seen a righteous one abandoned, nor their children begging for bread. [JPS translation Edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1.What does this text imply about the nature of performing good deeds? Does it describe an accurate reality?
2. Is this text a description of reality or a vision for the future? How might this affect our understanding of it and what it can teach us about the world today?

Deuteronomy 10:18-19

עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה וְאֹהֵב גֵּר לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה: וַאֲהַבְתֶּם אֶת הַגֵּר כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

Deuteronomy.10.18-19

[God] upholds the cause of the orphan and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him/her with food and clothing. -- You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. [JPS translation edited for gender-neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. In what ways does this text suggest that we mimic God?
2. What is God's responsibility to us and what is our responsibility to others? What are the different sources of these responsibilities?
3. This text reminds the reader of Israelite slavery. In what ways is a history of slavery connected to doing justice and loving the stranger?

4. Based on all the above texts, how do you view your Jewish obligation to feed the hungry today?