On Tzedakah

[leftyjew]

If a stranger comes and says, “I am hungry. Please give me food.” We are not allowed to check to see if he is honest or not, we must immediately give him food.
-- Mishnah Torah 6:6

So that means that even if you know he isn't honest, give him money. Ah Judaism... why can't more Jews practice you?

Comments

[kvschwartz.livejournal.com]

I don't know the rest of that commentary, nor the commentary on that commentary, nor the commentary on that -- but that quotation itself says nothing about "if you know he isn't honest." Rather, itt says it's important to give him the benefit of the doubt, that's it's better to give to people who don't need than to risk not giving to those who do.

But I agree: what wonderful words to live by.

[justinep.livejournal.com]

:/ See my posts in my journal about 'my excuse for not giving tzedokah properly is that I do'nt quite earn enough to subsist' (which is, according to Halachah, not a valid excuse)

But yes, I think the laws regarding tzedakah - and the very concept of it being 'social justice' rather than 'charity' - are amazing