rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob]) (03/07/85)
Steve Bellovin writes to Bob Brown Subject: Re: Charity and Misunderstanding References: <1296@akgua.UUCP> There is not, as far as I know, any 10% requirement adhered to by Jews today. However, the injunction towards charity in general is extremely strong; any sort of worthwhile charity is -- in your phrase -- G-d's work. Let me quote something the rabbi at my synagogue said when appealing for money for Operation Moses (the airlift of Jews from Ethiopia): "Some people wonder if I'm asking that you give money only to starving Jews in Africa, and not non-Jews. Of course not! Who says you should only give to one group? On the other hand, the fact that you give money to help avert starvation doesn't mean you have no obligation to help rescue Jews." The Talmud says this on charity: even a recipient of charity is obligated to give to others. [ Edited section ] Judging from your posting, I imagine that your next question is why there is no longer a 10% rule. I don't really know, though the explanation that was posted -- that it was in essence a tax to support a priestly system that no longer exists -- seems logical. But let me caution you about one thing: Judaism is defined -- in theory as well as in practice -- by rabbinic interpretations of the Torah, not just by the written works. It is simply not possible to understand the Jewish viewpoint on many -- most! -- subjects without recourse to the Talmud plus 1500+ years of "responsa"; the Bible alone will not do it. This is, I realize, in direct opposition to the Protestant viewpoint, which stresses individual interpretation. Given that, a better way to have phrased your original question would have been "What is the Jewish interpretation of the tithing requirement? How is it applied today, if at all? Is there any theological difference between donations to Jewish or non-Jewish charities?" Such phraseology is inquiring, but makes no attempt at interpreting Jewish law from a Christian perspective. (To be sure, it also avoids any implication that Jews don't give to non-Jewish charities, which you apparently did not intend but certainly came across to many readers, including myself.) --Steve
rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob]) (03/08/85)
I inadvertently cut off the permission statement from
Steve Bellovin allowing me to repost his recent letter
(in edited form).
Just thought that I'd clear that up so that some
of the hate mailers on n.r.j. wouldn't have one more thing...
Bob Brown {...ihnp4!akgua!rjb}