The word shalom derives from the Hebrew word shalem, meaning “whole” or “complete.” It also signifies welfare of every kind, including security, contentment, sound health, prosperity, friendship, peace and tranquility of mind and heart. (By contrast, the English word “peace” comes from the Latin word pax, which means “quiet.”) In Hebrew, the root of the word (usually in a three or occasionally four letter format), and depending on the vowels that are used, has several meanings that are relevant to the general meaning of the word Shalom. One meaning is "Whole" (shalem) another could be the actual verb "Pay" (l'shalem) usually in command form. Shalom, as term and message, seems to encapsulate a reality and hope of wholeness for the individual, within societal relations, and for the whole world. To say joy and peace, meaning a state of affairs where there is no dispute or war, does not begin to describe the sense of the term. Completeness seems to be at the center of shalom, its use points to welfare, for example, health, prosperity, and, peace. So shalom seems not to merely speak of a state of affairs, but describes a process, an activity, a movement towards fullness.
(יט) כִּ֣י תִקְצֹר֩ קְצִֽירְךָ֨ בְשָׂדֶ֜ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֧ עֹ֣מֶר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה לֹ֤א תָשׁוּב֙ לְקַחְתּ֔וֹ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַ֤עַן יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכֹ֖ל מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃ (כ) כִּ֤י תַחְבֹּט֙ זֵֽיתְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְפָאֵ֖ר אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃ (ס) (כא) כִּ֤י תִבְצֹר֙ כַּרְמְךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְעוֹלֵ֖ל אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ לַגֵּ֛ר לַיָּת֥וֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָ֖ה יִהְיֶֽה׃ (כב) וְזָ֣כַרְתָּ֔ כִּי־עֶ֥בֶד הָיִ֖יתָ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (ס)
When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do not turn back to get it; it shall go to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow -- in order that Adonai your God may bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat down the fruit of your olive trees, do not go over them again; that shall go to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not pick it over again; that shall go to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. (AJWS Translation)
- What is being commanded? Why?
- Who is the source concerned about, why these people?
- What is the vision of a whole/complete society that this source is proposing? Does it seem realistic to you?
(א"ר) אבא א"ר שמעון בן לקיש: גדול המלוה יותר מן העושה צדקה, ומטיל בכיס יותר מכולן.
Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Simeon ben lakish: the person who lends money [to a poor person] is greater than the person who gives charity; and the one who throws money into a common purse [to form a partnership with the poor person] is greater than both. (AJWS Translation)
- Why do you think giving to a communal purse is considered a greater act?
- How does this fit into the project of creating a whole/complete society?
(א) כל עיר שיש בה ישראל חייבין להעמיד מהם גבאי צדקה אנשים ידועים ונאמנים שיהיו מחזירין על העם מערב שבת לערב שבת ולוקחין מכל אחד ואחד מה שהוא ראוי ליתן ודבר הקצוב עליו והן מחלקין המעות מערב שבת לערב שבת ונותנין לכל עני ועני מזונות המספיקין לשבעה ימים וזו היא הנקרא קופה.
(ב) וכן מעמידין גבאין שלוקחין בכל יום ויום מכל חצר וחצר פת ומיני מאכל או פירות או מעות ממי שמתנדב לפי שעה ומחלקין את הגבוי לערב בין העניים ונותנין לכל עני ממנו פרנסת יומו וזהו הנקרא תמחוי.
(ג) מעולם לא ראינו ולא שמענו בקהל מישראל שאין להן קופה של צדקה אבל תמחוי יש מקומות שנהגו בו ויש מקומות שלא נהגו בו והמנהג הפשוט היום שיהיו גבאי הקופה מחזירין בכל יום ומחלקין מערב שבת לערב שבת.
(1) Any city with a Jewish population must establish tz'dakah gabbaim, men who are known and reliable, who will go about among the people from one Friday to the next, taking from each what he ought to give and that which is fixed for him, and they distribute the money for the Friday-to-Friday period, giving to each poor person enough food for seven days, and this is what is called "kupah."
(2) And likewise they establish gabbaim who will take each day, from each courtyard, bread and foodstuffs, or fruit, or money from whoever donates at that time, and they distribute the collection in the evening among the poor people, giving from it to each poor person a day's sustenance, and this is what is called "tam'hui."
(3) We have never seen or heard of a Jewish community that does not have a kupah of tz'dakah, but as regards a tam'hui, some places have the practice of having one, and some places do not, and the general practice today is that the gabbaim of the kupah go about each day and distribute for the Friday-to-Friday period.
(יב) מי שישב במדינה שלשים יום כופין אותו ליתן צדקה לקופה עם בני המדינה ישב שם שלשה חדשים כופין אותו ליתן התמחוי ישב שם ששה חדשים כופין אותו ליתן צדקה בכסות שמכסים בה עניי העיר ישב שם תשעה חדשים כופין אותו ליתן צדקה לקבורה שקוברין בה את העניים ועושין להם כל צרכי קבורה.
A person who dwells in a city for thirty days is forced to give tzedakah to the Kupah (community fund that feeds the resident poor with a weekly food allocation) with the rest of the residents of the city. If one dwelt there three months they force that person to give to the Tamhui (public soup kitchen for any hungry person). If one dwelt there six months they force that person to give tzedakah for clothing to clothe the poor. If one dwelt there nine months they force that person to give tzedakah for the burial fund which provides all the burial requirements for the poor.
Read and compare the two sources from the Mishneh Torah, and then reflect on the following questions:
- In the first source, what is a Tz'dakah gabbai (plural - gabbaim)? What do they do?
- Why is this position necessary?
- What qualities would a good tz'dakah gabbai need to have?
- How does this help to sketch out a vision of a whole/complete society?
- In the second source - why the allocation of these responsibilities to these time frames? Does this make sense to you?
- How does the second source set out a vision of a whole, complete society? Does it add anything to the first source?
- Think about your own Hillel communities - in what ways are they similar or different to the rules for a community laid out in the Mishneh Torah?
- How could your Hillel aim to function as more of a "complete" society? Where could philanthropy play a role in helping you to achieve that?