This sheet on Deuteronomy 15 was written by Cheryl Peretz for 929 and can also be found here
Studies of American philanthropy often point to two traits strongly related to an individual’s participation in giving – education and wealth. According to some, this alone would be the justification for the stronger than average giving by American Jews. Nevertheless, Chapter 15 of Deuteronomy offers a different basis, a basis that may well be not only the underpinning of the Jewish commitment, but also the universal recognition that poverty exists and the human condition makes it impossible to turn our back on those in need.
As my teacher Rabbi Elliot Dorff understands, the 15th century Spanish commentator, Abarbanel, identifies three reason for giving tzedakah: to express mercy towards the poor, to recognize the poor person as one of your fellow human beings (and perhaps even your relative), and to be a part of sustaining the community.
At the same time, there is an inherent contradiction raised as well. In verse 4, the Torah says “There shall be no needy among you,” and, in verse eleven, “For the poor will never cease from the land.” How is it possible to both understand the Divine promise to cease poverty and in the same passage to admit that it will never go away?
Great debates take place between commentators over the generations in attempts to reconcile these two disparate comments. Ramban says “For the poor will never cease [means] it is impossible that the poor will permanently disappear. [Moses] mentions this because, having assured them that there would be no needy if they observed all of the commandments, he goes on to say, “I know that not every generation, forever, will observe all of the commandments to the point that there is no longer any need for commandments concerning the poor. For perhaps, at certain times, there will be needy, and therefore, I am commanding you for the case in which they are present.”
In other words, we anticipate a perfected world when poverty would be eliminated, but we plan for the imperfect one in which there are indeed needy amongst us. The same passage reminds us that the worst possible case of all would be to make ourselves callous to the reality of need. So, surely we open our hands to the needy.
Ken yehi ratzon - may it ever be so.
As my teacher Rabbi Elliot Dorff understands, the 15th century Spanish commentator, Abarbanel, identifies three reason for giving tzedakah: to express mercy towards the poor, to recognize the poor person as one of your fellow human beings (and perhaps even your relative), and to be a part of sustaining the community.
At the same time, there is an inherent contradiction raised as well. In verse 4, the Torah says “There shall be no needy among you,” and, in verse eleven, “For the poor will never cease from the land.” How is it possible to both understand the Divine promise to cease poverty and in the same passage to admit that it will never go away?
Great debates take place between commentators over the generations in attempts to reconcile these two disparate comments. Ramban says “For the poor will never cease [means] it is impossible that the poor will permanently disappear. [Moses] mentions this because, having assured them that there would be no needy if they observed all of the commandments, he goes on to say, “I know that not every generation, forever, will observe all of the commandments to the point that there is no longer any need for commandments concerning the poor. For perhaps, at certain times, there will be needy, and therefore, I am commanding you for the case in which they are present.”
In other words, we anticipate a perfected world when poverty would be eliminated, but we plan for the imperfect one in which there are indeed needy amongst us. The same passage reminds us that the worst possible case of all would be to make ourselves callous to the reality of need. So, surely we open our hands to the needy.
Ken yehi ratzon - may it ever be so.
(ד) אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
(4) There shall be no needy among you—since the LORD your God will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion—
Rabbi Cheryl Peretz serves as the Associate Dean of both the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and of the Zacharias Frankel College.
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