Rav Asi says: A person should never prevent himself from giving at least one-third of a shekel a year in charity, as it is stated: “And we also established mitzvot upon ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the House of our God” (Nehemiah 10:33). And Rav Asi says: Tzedakah is equivalent to all the other mitzvot combined, as it is stated in that verse: “We also established mitzvot upon ourselves.” A mitzva is not written here, but rather mitzvot, in the plural, thereby teaching that this mitzva is equivalent to all the other mitzvot.
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 248:13
Everyone is obligated to give tzedakah. Even people supported by tzedakah must contribute from what they will receive. Anyone who refuses to give [tzedakah] or who gives less than what he should give, the court pressures him until he gives the amount he has been assessed. The court may confiscate his possessions and deduct from them an appropriate amount [for tzedakah]. They may seize possessions worth the value of the pledge, even on Friday afternoon. [AJWS translation]
1. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this law? What would happen if our society enforced this rule, almost like a tax?
2. In what way could this law help with foreign assistance reform?
Talmud Gittin.7b
Even a poor person who receives tzedakah must give from what he receives.
Deuteronomy 15:8
כִּי פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ וְהַעֲבֵט תַּעֲבִיטֶנּוּ דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ:
You shall surely open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, that which he lacks.
Rashi: LEND HIM – If he doesn’t want a gift, give him a loan.
SUFFICIENT FOR HIS NEED – And you are not commanded to make him rich.
THAT WHICH HE LACKS – Even a horse to ride on and a slave to run in front of him.
HE (לו) – This is a wife, as it says “I will make for HIM (לו) an Ezer Knegdo (help-mate).
Netivot Shalom, III pg. 202 ff. Commentary on Pirke Avot -R. Shalom Noach Berezovsky
Translation R. Jonathan Slater
R. Eleazar b. Yehudah of Bartuta says: “Give to God of what is God’s, for you and all you have is God’s, as King David said: ‘For all is from You, and from Your hand have we given to You’ (I Chron. 29:14)”
Avot 3:7
Rabbenu Yonah (Girondi, Gerona 13th c.) interprets: this mishnah relates to matters of person and property, as well as the whole of human power, potential and forcefulness, awareness and wisdom. All are from God, and we must devote all of our power and property to divine ends. This is the sense of “Give to God what is God’s, for you and all you have is God’s”: you are not giving anything that is yours, neither of your person nor your property. Rather, you give from what is God’s, as all is God’s. “For all is from You”: since all is from the blessed Holy One, we must devote everything to divine ends. Think of it this way: A king gave his servant $1000 and said: “Take one hundred for yourself, and give the other nine hundred to nine others I determine”. All of our powers and possessions are only a deposit that passes our way; we are merely the clerk who forwards them to their proper end. “Give to God of what is God’s, for you and all you have is God’s”.
R. Eleazar of Bartuta teaches here a fundamental principle in spiritual practice: all is from God. This applies to material matters as well as to spiritual; to our person and our property. In every instance we are to realize: “all is from God”. Even in our spiritual lives, when the blessed Holy One helps us to fulfill God’s will, even that is a gift from the Holy One. On the foundation of this faith, that “you and all that you have are Gods, for all is from You” can we pass through any circumstance with joy.
- Where did whatever prosperity, wealth, good fortune, talent, character, sense of well-being – you might have come from? What good circumstances or conditions were present outside of your own action or effort?
- If you could always remember these sources, gifts, conditions which have helped to make your good fortune and good effort possible, how would it influence your actions and the way you live your life?
- In what ways have you been shaped by what you were given? How would you like to be shaped by what give?
How Much Do We Have and How Much Should We Give?
There are various means of calculating one's relative wealth World Bank Development Research Group.http://www.globalrichlist.com/ It estimates that if your individual income is $32,000 you are in the top 1% of the world. 70% of the world earns less than $3,000 a year. (12/2018)
Another formula adjusts for the size of your family and household income. It also conveniently points out how your ranking would be affected by choosing to give away 10% of your income.
A family of 4, earning $50,000 and giving 10% away would still be among richest 9.9% of the world. https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/get-involved/how-rich-am-i/.
For more conservative numbers, http://www.leastof.org/ suggests an annual personal income of $32,000 puts us in the top 5% of the world.
How does this impact your sense of what is appropriate to give? How do these numbers line up with your own perceptions of wealth?
"Yankel The Cheapskate" would not give money to anyone, for any reason. It didn't matter how important the cause; no one could crack him. He just wouldn't contribute. One day, Yankel was crossing the river in a small boat. Suddenly, a huge storm breaks out, and his boat capsizes. Luckily, another boat approached. The sailor calls out to him: "Give me your hand!! Give me your hand!"
Yankel can barely hear him over the strong winds and the roaring waves. He hears only one word over and over: "Give, give..." And good old Yankel can't help himself. He yells back: "No. I don't give. I don't give." Again: "Yankel, give me your hand! Give me your hand!" And again, Yankel screams: "Never. I don't give." Finally, in desperation, the rescuer yells, "Yankel, take my hand." And Yankel says: "Oh take? Sure."
Who should we give to?
There are those who teach that which Rav Huna said in connection with that which Rav Yosef taught: The verse states: “If you lend money to any of My people, even to the poor person who is with you” (Exodus 22:24). The term “My people” teaches that if one of My people, i.e., a Jew, and a gentile both come to borrow money from you, My people take precedence. The term “the poor person” teaches that if a poor person and a rich person come to borrow money, the poor person takes precedence. And from the term: “Who is with you,” it is derived: If your poor person, meaning one of your relatives, and one of the poor of your city come to borrow money, your poor person takes precedence. If it is between one of the poor of your city and one of the poor of another city, the one of the poor of your city takes precedence (Bava Metzia 71a)
Later rabbis organize tzedakah priorities like this:
– The first relative that deserves one’s charity is yourself. If you cannot make a living, you should not be giving to others before yourself. This is based upon the pasuk “V’chai achicha imach–and your brother shall live with you” - your existence comes first (Tur, Yoreh Deah, chapter 251, citing Rav Saadya Gaon).
– The next relative is one’s parents. A father and mother come before anyone else.
– A son and daughter come next.
– A brother and sister come next.
– A paternal sibling comes before a maternal sibling.
– One’s spouse’s relatives come before strangers.
– One’s ex-spouse comes before others (see Rema 119:8).
– A talmid chacham (Torah scholar) non-relative precedes a non-relative who is not a talmid chacham, even if the talmid chacham is not from one’s own city.
– Unrelated poor people from one’s own city precede poor people from another city–but not when the poor of another city have greater needs (see Y.D. 251:3 and Responsa Chasam Sofer Y.D. 234).
– The poor of Eretz Yisrael have precedence over the poor of another city, but not over the poor of one’s own city (see commentaries of Shach and Bach, Y.D. 251:6).
Do these categories make sense to you? Would you reverse any of these?
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