Giving generously has been embedded in Jewish consciousness since the beginning of our faith. Abraham is celebrated for his generous spirit when he opens his tent to the strangers who wander by. Each successive generation of our ancestors strives to remember that opening your hand to the needy is not just an option – it is a Jewish obligation. “There will always be needy in your midst,” we are taught in Torah. “Therefore, do not close your hand to the needy.”
A contemporary invention,
Giving Tuesday,
actually simply enables us to fulfill one of the fundamental
mitzvot
(commandments): giving to those who need what we have more than we do. When we see poverty, hunger, the homeless, the ill, the elderly, the stranger, the immigrant, children in need and more, we are commanded to find a way to help by giving. Even the poorest person among us is expected to give.
Tzedakah
is an obligation that falls upon each and every member of our community.
So as
Giving Tuesday
arrives, we invite each member of Congregation Shaare Emeth to join in this ancient practice of giving. Give generously. Help us to activate the spirit of philanthropy that is a part of our heritage.
