ערוך השולחן יורה דעה הלכות צדקה סימן רמט
אמנם הדבר מובן שלא תצוה התורה ליתן כל מה שיש לו לעניים והוא ישאר עני ודרכיה דרכי נועם ובאמת בזמן שהיו ישראל בארץ והיה מצבם טוב ועניים היו מועטים היו יכולין לקיים די מחסורו וגו' אבל כשגלינו מארצינו ועניים נתרבו ועשירים נתמעטו ואם אפילו יחלקו העשירים כל מעותיהם לא יספיקו להשלים לכל העניים די מחסורם לכן תקנו חכמים מעשר וחומש ולא יותר דבהכרח לתת גבול וכמו שאמר רבא בתענית [כ ב] כולהו מצינא לבר מהא לפתוח הפתח ולומר כל דצריך ייתי ויכול משום דנפישי חילי דמחוזא שהרבה עניים יש שם וקא מכליא קרנא ע"ש
Of course, it should be understood within the context of this matter that the Torah does not command a person to give everything they have to the poor so that that person becomes poor because “its [the Torah] ways are the ways of pleasantness.” Truthfully, when Israel was in their land and their situation was good and there were only a few poor people, they were able to fulfill “according to [the poor person’s] needs, etc.” However, when we were exiled from our land and the poor increased and the rich diminished, even if the rich divided up all their wealth it was not enough to satisfy all the poor according to their needs. Therefore, the sages decreed a tenth and a fifth [of your property to be given to tzedakah], and not more, because of the necessity of making a boundary [of giving], and Rabba said in Taanit (20b): “All these things I could myself carry out except the last one..and I could not say ‘all who need come and eat’.because there are so many [poor people] in Mahuza.” There are many poor people there, and his estate would be consumed. [Translation by Rabbi Bruce Elder. Edited for gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What was the ideal model of giving that we saw when the Israelites were in their land?
2. What changed to render that model ineffective?
3. Jewish law mandates that everyone donate at least 10% of their income to tzedakah, but not more than 20%. How do both of these laws help mold a community?
Time Period: Modern (Spinoza through post-WWII)