TZEDAKAH: THE “LAW” OF SOCIAL

By Steve LaCheen

ne of the more protean concepts in the is encompassed in the word “Tzedakah” (pronounced tse-DOCK-eh), which is generally defined as and mercy. OThe root of the word, however, is “tzedek,” meaning and, more than just charity or , incorporates the principle of social justice as well.

In other words, tzedakah is the obligation to establish Degrees of Tzedakah, adapted from ’ Mishneh justice by being righteous, upright, compassionate and, above Laws of to the Poor, are rated as follows: all, helping one’s fellow human beings. Historically, the care 1. Giving too little, and as if forced to give. of the well-to-do for the poor was not merely voluntary or 2. Giving too little, but giving cheerfully as if happy to give. optional. Rather, it was governed by exact rules, both as to the 3. Giving as much as needed, but only after being asked amount (generally 10 percent, although the amount of charity for it. a man gives should be proportionate to his means), and as 4. Giving as much as needed, and before being asked for it. to the manner in which it was to be dispensed and received. 5. Giving enough, and before being asked, and in such a Those who were able were forbidden to ignore or turn away way that the poor person knows who gives him help but anyone in need who asked for help. the helper does not know who the poor person is. Leo Rosten, “The Joys of Yiddish.” 6. Giving enough, and before being asked, and in such a A guiding principle was that the recipients of tzedakah were way that the giver knows who gets the charity but the never to be shamed by public disclosure. It was considered receiver does not know who has given it to him. better to give no charity at all than to give to the poor in 7. Giving enough, and before being asked, and in such a way public. Traditionally, in the ancient Temple, and in many that neither the giver nor the receiver knows the other. thereafter, there was a room dedicated to tzedakah 8. Finally, at the very top of the ladder of tzedakah is the that was open all day, every day. Anyone could enter, but only step of helping the needy person by lending him money one person at a time, so no one else would know whether it to open a business, or joining him in a partnership, or was to give or take; that is, whether to leave an offering or to finding him a job, so that he can support himself and not take from the available offerings money to feed his family. need charity. Whether donor, needy recipient, or even thief, no one but he There are, of course, hundreds of traditional tzedakah stories would know. in the Bible, in the Biblical Commentaries, and in the myths, The ideals of tzedakah were set down by legends and folk tales, handed down through the centuries. Maimonides 800 years ago. He compared tzedakah to a Folk tales of the often involve their creative efforts to step-ladder, from low to high, from worst to best. The Eight extract tzedakah contributions for the poor and needy from the

the philadelphia lawyer Fall 2016 37 “You are feeling for only a few minutes what the poor who barely have enough for food, let alone fuel, feel all day every day. Perhaps you would consider making a ?”

rich and selfish, of which the following your carpets, and besides, I have next week, if you do not come inside, I might be considered a representative errands to run and only need a minute will not give you anything, because my sampling: of your time.” fingers will be too stiff from the cold to THE DOORSTEP DIALOGUE “Good,” said the rich man, who had count out any coins.” come to the door in his shirt sleeves, SILVER BLINDNESS As was his custom, the Rabbi “made and was already feeling the effects his rounds” every Friday morning, from of the cold. “What can I do for you, Another such tale concerned the door to door, seeking contributions to Rabbi?” Rabbi in another village, who had never buy wood and coal for the poor. It was “Oh, I don’t want anything but your succeeded in getting a donation from winter, and it was cold, but the Rabbi opinion on a matter which has been the richest man there, a man known as was so focused on his goal that he troubling me,” said the Rabbi, and much for his miserable affect as well as hardly felt the biting wind. launched into a discussion of not one, for his miserliness. Up one street and down another, the but a number of topics of community One day the Rabbi decided to try a Rabbi made his way, and at almost interest. different tack than just knocking on the every house he was welcomed and Two or three times the host interrupted rich man’s door and being turned away given a donation for his cause. One the Rabbi, asking him to please come by a servant with an excuse. Instead, house, however, had always escaped, or inside, but on each occasion, the Rabbi he sent a message to the man, saying he at least ignored the Rabbi’s entreaties - demurred, saying he really had to go, wanted to see him, not at his home and the house of the richest man in town, but had just one more topic on which not at the , but at a tea shop who always managed to be away or, he wanted an opinion. Finally, the rich in the poorest part of town. if at home, to have an excuse to avoid man, trembling with cold, speaking Although always able to refuse a making a contribution. through chattering teeth, said “Rabbi, I request for a donation, the rich man On this particular morning, the Rabbi am honored you want my opinion on so could not refuse to honor the Rabbi’s decided to press the issue. His knock many subjects, but if you do not come invitation to meet even though he knew on the rich man’s door was answered by inside and let me close the door, I will the meeting would lead to a pitch for a servant, who opened the door wide, freeze to .” tzedakah for the poor; so he met the inviting the Rabbi’s entry. “Ah,” said the Rabbi. “You are Rabbi when and where he asked. But the Rabbi declined the invitation feeling for only a few minutes what the To his surprise, however, the Rabbi to enter, saying he was wet and did poor who barely have enough for food, never asked for a donation. They not want to drip water or mud on the let alone fuel, feel all day every day. spoke of many things (of “cabbages carpets. Perhaps you would consider making a and kings,” as the poet wrote) for quite “I will wait for your master here,” donation?” a while, without any mention of the said the Rabbi, “and you may tell him “How much?” asked the rich man. poor. At one point, however, out of I do not expect him to make a donation The Rabbi said the amount was up to the blue, the Rabbi asked the Miser if today.” him, because people were never asked he was happy. Caught completely off Within minutes his host appeared at to give more than they felt they could guard, the rich man answered truthfully the door. afford. that he was miserable, and offered a “Good day, Rabbi,” he said. “I am “I beg you,” said the rich man, “just laundry list of reasons he was unhappy, honored that you have graced my tell me how much you have collected including, as the Rabbi expected, that home with a visit. Welcome, and come so far today. Tell me before I turn blue he was worried that everyone was after in. Let me offer you a glass of tea, or from ...” The Rabbi showed him how his money, that he could never manage something to warm you on this cold, much he had already collected, and the to feel secure, no matter how much he wet day.” rich man doubled the amount. made, that he was not appreciated, and “No, thank you,” the Rabbi “Rabbi, you have taught me an so on and so forth. responded, “I wouldn’t want to muddy important lesson,” said the man, “but “Look,” said the Rabbi, “come to the

38 the philadelphia lawyer Fall 2016 “Yet, with a thin coating of silver, the glass becomes a mirror, and all you can see is yourself.”

window and tell me what you see.” more; he became rich in the respect and Mustering as much control as she The Miser did as he was bid, and friendship of his community. was able, she explained that the ring looked through the tea shop window at But there are stories on the other he had so cavalierly given away was the passersby outside. side of the tzedakah coin as well; not, as he apparently thought, the “I see a lot of poor people,” he said, tales of the giving of tzedakah by the inexpensive copy she was wearing, it “they are pathetic, but ...” rabbis themselves to the poor. One of was the expensive original, and he must “Wait,” said the Rabbi, “there is my favorites I heard retold recently by try to retrieve it at any cost. something else I want you to look at Rabbi Isaacson concerns a The rabbi went to find the sexton now.” rabbi at whose front door a poor man and sent him in hot pursuit of the ring- The Rabbi walked the Miser over to appeared, looking for money for food bearer, hoping to catch him before he the large mirror on the tea shop wall. for his family. reached the jeweler. “Tell me what you see now,” said the As it happened, the man had arrived Within a hour, the sexton returned. Rabbi. late, after the rabbi had distributed His smiling countenance conveyed the “I see myself, of course,” said the every bit of his own money that he successful outcome of his pursuit. Miser. had on hand, as well as every bit that “Well,” said the Rabbi’s wife, “So tell me,” asked the Rabbi, “what had been donated by the congregation smiling. “All’s well that ends well, so is the difference between this piece of for that week’s tzedakah. There was give me my ring.” glass on the wall and the glass shop nothing left. What was the rabbi to do? “But I don’t have the ring,” said the window?” He searched through the house, looking sexton, perplexed, and looked to the “The shop window is clear glass, and high and low, and, still nothing. Surely, Rabbi. this is a mirror.” the Almighty would not let this poor “What does he mean, he doesn’t have “Yes, but what is it that makes them man’s family go hungry; He would the ring?” demanded the Rabbi’s wife. different?” provide, wouldn’t He? “Because I never sent him to The Miser had no answer. And, God did provide. the ring back,” said the Rabbi. “I sent “I will tell you,” said the Rabbi. “The The rabbi, in searching the house, the sexton to tell him how much the difference is simply a coating of silver. came across a ring on his wife’s bureau; ring was worth so he would not sell it Without the silver, you saw the outside and, without a second thought, he gave too cheaply!” world through the shop window. Yet, the ring to the poor man to take to a There are, of course, many more with a thin coating of silver, the glass jeweler in town who would give him folk tales centered on the tradition becomes a mirror, and all you can see money to buy the food for his family. of tzedakah and the principle of is yourself.” With a blessing for the rabbi, and social justice, but these several are The Miser looked away from the thanks to the Almighty, the poor man fair examples. mirror, first to the outside, and then to took the ring and left. To quote an old adage, “The longest the Rabbi standing in front of him. Within minutes, the rabbi’s wife road in the world is the one that leads to “That man in the mirror,” said the returned home; saying she had returned the pocket.” Rabbi, “has been blinded by the silver, because she had left her ring on the So, give already. and only sees himself. If he would bureau and was afraid it would be lost. Moral: Tzedakah encompasses not look through the glass window and It was, she reminded the rabbi, her only the principle of charity but the see the world outside of himself, he favorite ring, an expensive ring that principle of justice, which makes would regain not only his vision but a had been handed down to her through charity obligatory. sense of his responsibility to his fellow her family. human beings. When the rabbi told his wife that he Steve LaCheen (slacheen@concentric. From that time forward, the Miser’s had given the ring to a poor man as net), a partner with LaCheen, Wittels & view of his world changed and, in tzedakah, his wife became furious and Greenberg, is a member of the Editorial helping others, he helped himself even demanded that he get the ring back. Board of The Philadelphia Lawyer.

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