the speaking tree - There Are Many Sides To Giving And Receiving
Ezekiel Isaac Malekar
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The obligation to render help to the needy and to give them gifts is stated many times in the Bible and was considered by Rabbis of all ages to be one of the cardinal mitzvot or commandments of Judaism. Charity is an attribute of God himself, “For the Lord ... doth execute justice ... and loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment.“ Prophet Isaiah proclaims that the “acceptable day to the Lord“ is not the fast which only consists of afflicting the soul and wearing sackcloth and ashes but rather the day on which bread is dealt to the hungry , the poor that are cast out are brought into the house and the naked clothed.A proportion of one's income should be earmarked for charity as a visible expression of universal love. It is said that charity saves a man from death. The virtue of charity is stressed over and over in the Book of Job. Following the precedent in the Torah, the Book of Esther makes sending gifts to the poor a part of the new festival it inaugurates, Purim, when Ezra and Nehemiah taught people about the importance of giving charity to the poor. The word Tzedakah in Hebrew literally means righteousness or justice by their very choice of word the Rabbis reveal a great deal of their attitude to the subject, for they see “charity“ not as a favour to the poor but something to which they have a right, and to the donor it is an obligation.The poor man does more for the householder in accepting alms than the householder does for the poor man by giving does for the poor man by giving him charity .
“For six years you shall sow your land, gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild beasts may eat.“ You shall do likewise with your vineyard and with your olive orchard. There are Maimonides' eight degrees of charity which are as follows: He who gives grudgingly , reluctantly, or grudgingly , reluctantly, or with regret; he who gives less than he should, but gives graciously; he who gives what he should, but only after he is asked; he who gives before he is asked; he who gives without knowing to whom he gives, although the recipient knows the identity of the donor; he who gives without making his identity known; he who gives without know ing to whom he gives, the recipient too not knowing from whom he receives; and he who helps a fellowman to support himself by a gift, or a loan, or by finding employment for him, thus helping him to become self-supporting.
Four traits characterise those who give: He who wishes to give but does not wish others to give; he who is grudging toward others; he who wishes that others should give and he not; and he, the saintly one, who wishes himself to give and others to give.
Caring for one's fellow man is not merely a generalised moral commandment in Judaism; it is spelled out in specific, legally binding obligations which each one must heed in all ages. Charity is a form of a vow, and a promise to give must be fulfilled immediately . Charity money must be used for the purpose for which it was given and it is forbidden to divert the funds to some other cause. (The writer is priest and honorary secretary , Judah Hyam Synagogue, New Delhi.) Follow him at speakingtree.in and post your comments there.
“For six years you shall sow your land, gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the wild beasts may eat.“ You shall do likewise with your vineyard and with your olive orchard. There are Maimonides' eight degrees of charity which are as follows: He who gives grudgingly , reluctantly, or grudgingly , reluctantly, or with regret; he who gives less than he should, but gives graciously; he who gives what he should, but only after he is asked; he who gives before he is asked; he who gives without knowing to whom he gives, although the recipient knows the identity of the donor; he who gives without making his identity known; he who gives without know ing to whom he gives, the recipient too not knowing from whom he receives; and he who helps a fellowman to support himself by a gift, or a loan, or by finding employment for him, thus helping him to become self-supporting.
Four traits characterise those who give: He who wishes to give but does not wish others to give; he who is grudging toward others; he who wishes that others should give and he not; and he, the saintly one, who wishes himself to give and others to give.
Caring for one's fellow man is not merely a generalised moral commandment in Judaism; it is spelled out in specific, legally binding obligations which each one must heed in all ages. Charity is a form of a vow, and a promise to give must be fulfilled immediately . Charity money must be used for the purpose for which it was given and it is forbidden to divert the funds to some other cause. (The writer is priest and honorary secretary , Judah Hyam Synagogue, New Delhi.) Follow him at speakingtree.in and post your comments there.
