Questions to Think About for every text:
- What is most striking to you about this text?
- Do you feel connected to what this text is saying?
- Is there something new you can learn from this text?
- What examples or texts can you compare this to?
- Do you agree or disagree? What is your interpretation?
What do our texts say about Hunger?
(7) If there be among you a needy person, one of your community, within any of your gates, in your land which Adonai thy God giveth thee, you shall not harden thy heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother; (8) but you shall surely open thy hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he is lacking.
The Holy One will then say to the rich man: Is it not enough for you that you gave him nothing of yours! Must you also cast a mocking eye on what I gave him?!
- Does the 'rich man's' argument sound familiar?
- What error has the 'rich man' made?
Taanit 21a
It is related of Nahum of Gamzo (a famous scholar) that he was blind in both eyes, stumped in both hands and crippled in both legs; his entire body was covered in boils...His disciples asked, "Master, since you are so perfectly righteous, why has all this affliction come upon you?" He replied, "My children, I invoked it upon myself.
"Once I was journeying to my father-in-law's house and had with me three heavily laden asses, one with food, one with drink and one with all kinds of delicacies. A poor man appeared on the road and stopped in front of me, saying, "Master, give me food." I replied, "Wait until I unload the ass." I had barely managed to do so when the poor man died (from hunger). I threw myself down and cried out, "Let my body, which had no pity upon yours, be crippled and let me be covered in boils!"
His students exclaimed, "Woe unto us to see you in such a state!" Rabbi Nahum replied, "Woe, indeed, but unto me if you did not see me in such a state!"
Gittin 61a
Our Rabbis taught, "Give sustenance to the poor of the non-Jews as well as the Jews. Visit the sick of the non-Jews as well as the Jews. Bury the dead of the non-Jews along with the dead of Israel. Do all these things because of the sake of peace."
- What does "for the sake of peace" mean?
Rabbi Israel Salanter
A person should be more concerned with spiritual matters than with material matters, but another person's material welfare is his own spiritual concern.
- Why might material matters of another person our spiritual concern?
Ha Lachma Anya - from the Pesach Haggadah
הא לחמא עניא די אכלו אבהתנא בארעא דמצרים. כל דכפין ייתי ויכל. כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח. השתא הכא לשנה הבאה בארעא דישראל. השתא עבדי. לשנההבאה בני חורין
This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.
Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need come and celebrate/eat the Pesach (offering).
Now we are here. Next year in the land of Israel. Now we are slaves. Next year we will be free.
- Why the seeming repetition?
- Is there a difference between a meal invitation to all who are hungry and all who are in need?
- What are these two types of need?
What can we do about Hunger?
ת"ר: 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.
Our rabbis taught: Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) is greater 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. (AJWS Translation).
(9) And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest. (10) And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
(א) 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.
How much is it appropriate to give to the poor? 'Sufficient for their needs in that which they lack.' If they are hungry, one must feed them. If they need clothing, one must cloth them. If they lack housing utensils, one must provide them with housing utensils...To each person according to what they need.