7NEAMIKOITf11'154RONICH;
PAGE TWO
The first member of the Rothsc h id
an important part. An adequate Jew- family to marry out of the faith Anus
terpreted to mean in accordance with
education would result in a culti-
ish
Miss
Peggy Behrens, granddatigl.:,r
his
accustomed
way
of
fulfilling
his
struction to many "Americanization"
vation, among other virtues, of the
of the first Lord Rothschild, who seed
needs. A man who had been rich and
workers today.
charity amongst the Jews in
of
virtue
Peter
Harris.
had
servants
was
to
be
supplied,
if
That Zedakah is a duty and not a
possible, with those as well, a provis- the future.
matter of choice to the individual Is
By DR. EMANUEL GAMORAM
the result of the idea that the goods
Similar to the ideal of learning, the ion which would certainly look extrav-
of the world belong to all alike, since
ideal of charity finds ample expres- agant were not the aim consideration
(Dr. Gamoran, who has devoted many years to the study of
they are all God's. The land belongs
sion in rabbinic literature. "Give for the rich man who became poor.
Jewish education, is author of a book called "Changing Concep-
to God. "And the land shall not be
him (the poor man) of His (God's) The sage Hillel is quoted with ap-
CHARLES W. GERBIG, Manager
tions in Jewish Education," published by the MacMillan Company.
sold in perpetuity, for the land is
for thou and what is thine are His," proval in the Talmud as running three
Ile is educational director of the Union of American Hebrew Con-
Mine ; for ye are strangers and set-
miles, acting as servant to a rich man
Hemlock 7580
re-echoes
the
same
thought
previous-
gregations and in this capacity is aiding in the formulation of a
tlers with Me." The I.evites, the
ly quoted from Leviticus. lie who who became poor and to whom Hill&
uniform curriculum for religious education in Jewish schools of
strangers, the fatherless, and the
gave charity. Iiillel's poverty pre-
refuses
to
give
'Zedakah
is
like
a
wor-
America. His book is divided into two sections, one devoted to Jewish
widow must all be considered. They
vented him from supplying this rich
education in Russia and Poland, and the other to principles of the
must be given a "tenth" of one's pos- shipner of idols. "A man who gives man with a hired servant and he felt
Jewish curriculum in America. In the second part of his study he
sessions. It is their right to receive even a small coin to a poor man is that he would not have done his duty
visited
by
the
Divine
presence."
The
divides Jewish educational values into humanistic and survival values.
that, not a special kindness on the
till he offered himself as the servant.
The Jewish conception of charity is given as an illustration of a
art of the giver. The reward for duty of giving Zedakah extends even
B Zedakah is larger. Long life, riches, to those who are themsleves the re- Charity embraced many activities,
humanistic Jewish value.)
cipients
of
it.
helping orphans, helping the poor, re-
throne. God himself is righteous. happiness are the lot of his who ful-
One of the humanistic values that
Zeakah is its own reward. "More deeming the captive, assisting the
God will deliver him from evil who fills his duty. The many evpressions
one might select as characteristic of
than the master does for the poor sick, buying the dead, and providing
does righteousness. There are many of the Bible on the subject may per-
Jewish life and literature and as a such references throughout the vari- haps be best represented by the fol- man, the poor man does for the mas- for hospitality to poor travelers. Ab-
typical value of a Jewish education is ous books of the Bible, all of which lowing quotation from the great pro- ter; " in giving him an opportunity to raham is stated to have built road
the attitude to and the practice of
houses where food was placed for all
tend to emphasize the main thought, phet of the exile, Deutero-Isaiah. The do Zedakah. The reward of life for
Operating Detroit Sponge and Chamois Co.
charity. The English word charity
the duty, not only the appeal to emo- prophet proceeds to point out what is deeds of Zedakah is well illustrated wayfarers. In Jerusalem it was cus-
really fails to convey the central tions; but the intellectual duly to do on acceptable day to the Lord, in the by the following Rabbinic legend con- tomary to spread a tablecloth in front
Manufacturers of
thought of the word Zedakah used in
cerning a pious man who constantly of the door of one's house to indicate
following words:
the Hebrew, a word which might be acts of Zedakah.
practiced this virtue. "Once he (the that the poor might enter and partake
This
duty
is
emphaszied
in
the
rendered in English as righteousness.
"Is it not to deal thy bread to the pious man) was sailing on a ship. A of food.
many books of the Bible. The Israel-
hungry
A Jew does not give charity. Ile ites are commanded to help the poor
wind came and sunk the ship in the
Closely associated with the idea of
And that thou bring the poor that sea. Rabbi Akiba who saw this came Zedakah was that of Gemilut Hasa-
Dinaributors for
practices righteousness. This is sig- man in accordance with his need. The
are cast out to thy house?
nificant in that it takes away the Ammonites and Moabites are never to
to Bet Din, the court, to testify that dim, the doing of kidnness, which was
When thou west the naked that thou the widow might remarry. By the time at times used interchangeably with
usual associations of doing a favor to come into the community of Israel
cover him,
the recipient. Zedakah is not merely because they failed to meet the Is-
the rabbi was to give his testimony certain types of Zedakah. More often
And that thou hide not thyself from before the Bet Din the man himself
a voluntary matter depending on the
281 Worcester Place
it referred to such help given to a man
raelites with bread and water when
thine own flesh?
kindness of one's heart, a deed which the latter escaped from the bondage
appeared. Said Rabbi Akiba, "Were in need as enabled him to become eco-
Then shall thy light break forth as not you drowned in the sea?" "Yes,"
one who is not kind may abstain from of Egypt. In taking off the produce
nomically independent again. Giving
the morning
doing. A Jew must give Zedakah. It of the fields, all fallen or forgotten
answered the other. "And who a loan to enable one to re-engage in
Arid thy rgihteousness shall go be-
is his duty to be righteous, and
brought you up from the sea?" ''Zeda- business activity and "come to him-
sheaves as well as those growing at
fore thee,
righteousness must express itself not
kah that I practiced brought me up self' again is an illustration of Gemi-
the corners of the field must be left
The Glory of the Lord shall be thy
only negatively, in not doing wrong, for the poor and the stranger. Most
from the sea," was the reply. "How lot liasadim.
rearward.
but in the kind of social responsibil-
interesting is the fact that the injunc-
Then shalt thou call, and the Lord do you know?" asked the rabbi. An-
This attitude to and practice of
ity which makes the poverty of one's
tion apnea to the stranger as well.
swered the man, "As I went down to charity continued in the Middle Ages.
will answer;
neighbor a sacred duty for consider- Such a warm appeal as is made for
Thous shalt cry; and Ile will say: the depths of the sea, I heard a great Provisions for the poor through or-
ation by every Israelite. In Hebrew,
the stranger in the Pentateuch, rep-
noise coming from the waves. They ganized community efforts were made
Zedakah may be further associated
'here I ani.'
resentative of the outlook of a peo-
were saying to each other, "Come, let in the many cities where Jews dwelt.
• • • •
with the use of various forme of the
ple during ancient days when all "And if thou draw out thy soul to as raise up this M1111 from the sea.
root of the word in other connections.
Rabbi Eliezer hen Isaac of Worms
strangers were looked upon with sus-
Ile has practiced Zedakah all his lite." (1050) in his will commands his chil-
Thus Zeddek, righteousness, is de-
the hungry
picion, can still be a source of in-
These expressions are indicative of dren: "Show reverence to the poor
clared to be the foundation of God's
the high regard for this value, which man, give him a gift secretly and not
is also substantiated by the facts con- in the presence of others. Give him
cerning the organization of charity. food and drink in thy house." Mahar-
In Mishnaic times each community am Minz in the middle of the fifteenth
had a special treasury for weekly century describes the provisions for
meals to the poor and another fund charity in his community as follows:
for immediate relief. The collection "All, both old and young, should con -
of funds was in the hands of trust- tribute to the Kuppah, charity box."
worthy men who had power to compel A similar attitude of the people to
people to give, even to the extent of charity is reflected in many of the
1
seizing their property. The money wills of the Jews in the Middle Ages.
collected and the food and clothing
That this attitude is still a living
bought for immediate relief were dis- factors amongst Jewry of today may
tributed to the poor, Jews and non- be seen from the philanthropic activ-
Jews alike. The men in charge of ity of the Jews of America, for the re-
these funds were considered no reliable lief of Jewry in Eastern Europe, as
that he whose parents were amongst well as from the organized work of
the Zedakah trustees was raised to the various federations of Jewish
the priesthood without further investi- philanthropic institutions in the larg-
gation into the family, although to er cities like New York, Chicago, Ibis-
avoi d all suspicion the collectors of ton, and numerous smaller cities. The
alms were not permitted to separate Joint Distribution Committee of Am-
,
from each other during the entire time erica allotted in the last eight years
about $50,000,000 for relief of Jew-
of collection.
Significance also is the manner in ry in Eastern Europe. The Federa-
which it was deemed advisable to dis- tion for the Support of Jewish Philan-
tribute charity. In spite of the fact thropic Institutions in New York City
that to give was a matter of right- which may be taken as an illustration,
T
eousness and duty, the spirit was em- spends nearly a sum of more than
Roofing Over Old Shingles.
phasized. lie who gives even a small $3,000,000 for the maintenance of 91
4
I
coin to the poor is blessed elevenfold. institutions affiliated with it. These
-
It was considered especially worthy to include all kinds of institutions—med
Fireproof Doors, Windows and Skylights.
give so that the giver did not know ical, correctional, vocational, religious,
who was the recipient and vice versa. educational—and there are many
Giving thus secretly is declared to ele- more institutions doing philanthropic
vate one even above Moses. Consider- work thoughout the city which are not
ation for the feelings of the recipient affiliated with the Federation.
Like the ideal of love of learning ,
resulted in the injunction to offer
-
money as a loan to him who would Zedakah has been reflected in the lit
erature
of the Jewish people through-
otherwise hesitate to accept, no matter
out the ages, and these expressions in
how needy.
erature were actually reflections of
Furthermore, the Biblical phrase, li
ll
Va llalIZIKIallalls,
.11.7
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ILMOL.11.
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1 11 1111 1i 10.4 "in accordance with his need" was in- li e-activities in which charity played
1 11;11.1k
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And satisfy the afflicted soul;
Then shall thy light rise in darkness,
And thy gloom be as the noon day."
Isaiah, 58:7.10.
THE JEWISH CONCEPTION OF CHARITY
Detroit Shellac
Company
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Il i 01 ICIO itlIP
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OA ChielhilhOLNIANICNIAllklik
Happy New Year To You
5685 - 1924
•
Upon this momentous occasion in the lives o
the Jewish people we extend to you all,
the Season's Greetings
FRANK POLANSKI,
Vice-President.
(-00smaninnamminzaczrzu4
WALTER WISN IEWSK I,
General Manager.
Michigan Milling and Beverage Co.
Incorporated
PHONE I,AFAYETTE 5789
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