Tzedakah: what the Talmud teaches us about charity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21906/rbl.3649Keywords:
Talmud, Torah, Mishnach, Gemara, rabbis, tzedakah, charity, almsgiving, wealth, generosityAbstract
The Talmud, after the Hebrew Bible, is one of the most important books in Jewish culture. One of the basic human attitudes in the Talmud is tzedakah, i.e. showing mercy through almsgiving and good deeds. Through numerous stories, the rabbis showed charity as a way of imitating God. They ordered us not to close our hearts to the needs of others, because sowing justice is reaping love (cf. Hos 10:12). Jewish tzedakah has an eschatological dimension, because the reward for charity will be paid in heaven. According to the rabbis, no one is exempt from charity, even those who benefit from it themselves. The Talmud teaches us that God commands everyone to act as His mediator in the work of mercy towards all those in need.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Dominik Tomczyk
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