Modern Issues, Same Tikkun Olam

In a place where there is no person, strive to be a person.

And God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.’

Rabbi Akiva (second century CE) taught: “‘Love your neighbor as yours self.’ (Leviticus, 19) This is the most important rule in the Torah.” Ben Azzai says: ‘This is the scroll of the generations of humanity… Humans was created in the image of God.’ (Genesis, 5) This is an even greater principle, so that one should not say ‘Because I have been humiliated, let my friend be humiliated with me, because I have been cursed, let my friend be cursed with me’.

(14) He would say: Beloved is the person, created in the image of God. A deeper love is revealed to those created in God's image, as it says (Genesis 9:6) "for in God's own image God made humankind."

¹⁸ You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. ¹⁹ You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. ²⁰ Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Our rabbis taught: We provide for the gentiles' poor with Israel's poor, we visit gentiles' sick with Israel's sick, and we bury the gentiles' dead with Israel's dead, due to the ways of peace.

There are eight degrees of tzedakah, each higher than the next. The highest degree, exceeded by none, is that of the person who assists a poor person by providing him with a gift or a loan or by accepting him into a business partnership or by helping him find employment – in a word, by putting him where he can dispense with other people’s aid. With reference to such aid, it is said, “You shall strengthen him, be he a stranger or a settler, he shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:35), which means strengthen him in such a manner that his falling into want is prevented. Below this is that of the person who gives tzedakah to poor people, but the giver doesn’t know to whom he is giving nor does the recipient know from whom he is receiving. This constitutes giving for its own sake. This is similar to the Secret Office that was in the Temple. There the righteous ones gave secretly and the poor people would be sustained from it anonymously. This is similar to giving to a tzedakah collection. But one should only give to a tzedakah collection if he knows that the overseer is trustworthy and wise and conducts himself fairly, like Rabbi Channaniah ben Tradyon. Below this is a situation in which the giver knows to whom he is giving but the poor person does not know from whom he is receiving. This is like the great sages who used to walk in secret and put coins into the doors of poor people. It is worthy and truly good to do this if those who are responsible for collecting tzedakah are not trustworthy. Below this is a situation in which the poor person knows from whom he is receiving, but the giver does not know the recipient. This is like the great sages who used to bundle coins in their scarves and roll them up over their backs and poor people would come and collect without being embarrassed. Below this is one who gives before being asked. Below this is one who gives after being asked. Below this is one who gives less than what is appropriate but gives it happily. Below this is one who gives unhappily.[AJWS translation] Source: On1Foot