Being seen as a ba’al tsedakah (a “master of righteousness”) or a “giver” in the Jewish community sometimes puts one into a difficult position. There are hundreds of causes, a great many of them worthwhile, and they all seem to pursue the same givers. To divide our ability to give by all the many causes that approach us can make each gift too small to be significant, while to give to one and ignore all the others seems somewhat heartless. It was for this reason, to avoid excessive competition among causes, that Jewish federations were first established. The local federation will accept a gift and divide it between various local and worldwide needs.
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What is the conundrum facing the Jewish giver? How Green suggest it is resolved?
2. How can this thinking be applied to foreign assistance reform?
Time Period: Contemporary (The Yom Kippur War until the present-day)