Articles tagged with: charity
Charity Without Poverty
Can there be charity without poverty?
The world is on a warpath to eradicate poverty. Many billionaires, and wealthy developed countries, are investing heavily in poorer countries and hope to eradicate poverty by 2030. If that happens, the question is, what will happen to charity? Will it become a thing of …
Terumah: Good Intentions
Good intentions are important, but they aren’t everything.
When it comes to Mitzvot, intentions are important, but the action is primary. If you want to mow the lawn, you need to go out and mow it. Intending to mow the lawn and even visualizing yourself doing it, won’t cut it (pun …
Re’e: Believe It
It is hard to believe something that can’t be proved. It is even harder to believe in something you can’t see. Some people say, “when I see it, I will believe it.” Others say, “When you believe it, you will see it.”
When Covid-19 first came to our shores, I was …
Bamidbar: Count for Something
G-d instructed Moses to take a census of the Jewish people in the desert. In all, G-d told Moses to count the Jews three times in a forty-year period. Rashi, the famed eleventh century biblical commentator, explained that G-d counts the Jews because He loves them.[1]
This statement makes it sound …
Acharei Mot Kedoshim: Chai to Life
We are all familiar with chai, the Hebrew word for life. Chai has a numeric value of eighteen, which is why it is common for Jews to donate to charity in multiples of eighteen. The Talmud tells us that charity saves us from premature death.[1] When we donate in multiples …
Ki Tavo: Reach Out
Cell Phone Reach Out
Good news for all those who have been trying to reach me via cell, text or other forms of digital communication. My withdrawal from the cell phone world has come to an end. My service provider delivered my new cell phone and I am connected again. But …
Re’eh: Charity
Rewards
Charity is an obligation and even an investment. In some ways it is also a gift, but to the giver, not the recipient. The Talmud speaks of a righteous man called Benjamin who fed a poor woman and her seven daughters during a famine. Shortly thereafter, Benjamin fell ill and …
Vayishlach: Why We Give
Early Morning Mitzvah
I want to share a story that made me reflect on why we give to people in need.
It was 6:15 AM and I was at a Starbucks on the New York Throughway seeking a dose of Ameicana to keep me awake. I was tired and bleary eyed, but …
