Just God Just Religion - By: Paul Wise

A concern with justice, with fairness, resides at the center of Judaism, from the very moment when Abraham questioned G-d over the morality of destroying a whole city for its wickedness lest there should prove to be even just ten righteous men or women residing there. This passion for balanced dealings is what lead Talmudic scholars to sanction Jewish farmers from yoking oxen with horses for ploughing the field, for being stronger it is evident that an ox would always have to do most of the work. It is a similar sense of responsibility that informs Jewish notions of the tzedakah, or religiously prescribed donations to charity.

In fact, the Hebrew word "tzedakah" literally means "justice," "righteousness," but has come to refer to the cultural practice - indeed, the cultural institution - of setting aside income for purposes of charitable contribution. Performing tzedakah is viewed as a moral responsibility, such that tradition holds the act to be one of only three types which could possibly mitigate any divine decree. Thus it is that even criminals will donate to charity in the hopes of actually annulling any heavenly judgment!

Such hopes and fears aside, at the heart of tzedakah lies a sense of social responsibility and social justice. Judaism teaches that all men are brothers - then asks, why should my brother not fare as well as me? From this simple yet not-easy-to-answer question comes the rabbis' injunction to provide for others as a matter of course. For this reason, performing tzedakah is so common in the Jewish community that two kinds of tzedakah have come about: the original religiously inspired one and another undertaken to herald special occasions such as bar mitzvahs and high holy days such as Pesach. This latter class returns a feeling of individual moral agency to the act of giving, while the former is still an essential factor of the Jewish religion - so critical, moreover, that even the poor themselves are commanded to donate, as they are able, so that one need not be a Robert Toussie in order to participate.

About the Author

Paul Wise makes it a hobby to keep up with Robert Toussie and other real estate veterans.

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