c. 2005 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) When people knock on our door to collect charity, my husband and I give our children dollar bills that they can each give to the collector. Although we could simply write a check (we often do that as well), we want the children to become accustomed to the notion of giving from their hand to the hand of another.

Hard times have hit many in recent years, and we have seen a notable increase in the number of knocks at our door. As we live in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, many of the collectors are seeking support for Jewish schools or organizations in Israel, hard hit by severe government cutbacks in their funding. But often we face men and women asking on their own behalf, beset with crushing financial woes, multiple family illnesses and other hardships.

These visits are in addition to the almost daily phone calls and mail solicitations we receive to support an orphans’ home, a school for troubled youth, a family facing catastrophic medical bills. We often wonder: why have we been blessed to be the givers and not the receivers? Will our good fortune last?

Religious Jews recite prayers each day that include thanks for the bounty we receive from God. We also pray that throughout our lives, we only require help from the Almighty, without having to rely on the kindness of strangers. And yet, God seems to have arranged the world in a way where there will always be “haves” and “have-nots.” In Deuteronomy 15:11, God states that “Destitute people will not cease to exist within the Land; therefore I command you, saying, `You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor, and to your destitute.”’

The Hebrew language offers a clue about why God has arranged things this way. In Hebrew, the word for charity is “tzedekah,” which is nearly the identical word for justice. Therefore, charity is more than kindness; it’s an obligation to create a more just world. And as many people realize, giving charity helps the giver almost as much as it helps the receiver.

One reason we encourage our children _ and remind ourselves _ to give smaller amounts of charity throughout the year rather than one large sum annually is to train ourselves to become givers by nature. Through our giving, we build a relationship with God, working in concert with Him to care for His children. In fact, the Torah promises that those who give charity will never be impoverished by their giving. On the contrary, it will help build their own wealth.

While it may seem logical to think that if I give you some of my money, I will have less, Jewish philosophy teaches that this logic confuses true cause and effect of wealth creation. The textbook of Jewish mysticism, the Zohar, states, “He who donates much to charity becomes richer because he opens up a channel for God’s blessing to reach him.”

Expounding on this idea, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, author of “Thou Shall Prosper: Ten Commandments for Making Money,” explains, “It’s a mistake to believe that having wealth enables charitable giving. For example, many believe that the United States is the most charitable nation because it is also the wealthiest. It’s more likely that the United States evolved into the history’s greatest wealth-creating machine because of its deeply ingrained cultural habit of giving.”

Lapin, also founder and president of the Seattle-based organization Toward Tradition, adds, “People are not takers by nature; they do far better as givers. Giving charity is another way to ensure that you always see yourself as a giver, rather than a taker.”

It’s amazing to think that by the simple act of giving charity, we have the incredible opportunity to create a more just world, refine our own character by making altruism second nature, and also build a relationship with God at the same time. After all, as Lapin says, “God feels closer to us when He sees us displaying compassion for His children.”

It’s a thought to remember next time we see another human being in need knocking on our door.

MO/JL END RNS