daf bit: Ketuvot 68

[cellio]

After discussing the importance of giving charity even when one questions the need, our rabbis taught: if a man pretends to have a blind eye, a swollen belly, or a humped back, he will not pass from the world without being so afflicted. If a man accepts charity but does not need it, he will not leave the world without coming to need it. (68a)

Presumably this concerns willful, deceitful acts, not misjudgements. If everyone believes in both the obligation to give charity and the obligation to not accept it if you don't really need it, you could end up with some pretty bad cases of "no, I insist" / "no, I can't". So I read this as a call for honest self-examination, not one to accept charity only as a matter of life or death.

Comments

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

I read this somewhat differently.

The first addresses the giver and the attribute of human nature that seeks to rationalize why I should not have to give charity. "Never give to homeless people, they just spend it on drugs and booze." "Why should I give that family financial aid, they aren't really poor. I see what car they drive. I bet they could pay if they want to pay." Or even "Charity to help unwed mothers? They should have thought of the consequences before they decided to have sex."

The Talmud therefore strictly enjoins us to avoid seeking such excuses not to give charity. It is better therefore to assume (when asked) that the need is genuine rather than seek reasons not to give under the cover of diligent inquiry.

At the same time, one should not be an idiot. When one sees deceptive practices, one need not give charity anyway on the grounds that perhaps it is not deceptive. Further, although not of relevance here, other rules of charity protect us from a need to beggar ourselves in the name of righteousness.

But very often the honest giver will face a quandary -- is this a real case where charity is needed, or is someone scamming me.

This, is where the second precept comes in. The hesitant giver should understand that God judges all. The deliberate swindler and the scam artist will face an ultimate Judge. Therefore do not fear to give on the grounds that you do not wish to reward sin and have no desire to be made the chump. LEave such judgmnets to God, as it is written: "for one higher than high watches, yea, the Highest of the All." Eccl 5:7

[cellio]

I like your interepretation. Thanks for sharing it.

On assessing need, the gemara (at the end of the previous daf) gives this example (paraphrased from memory): one of the rabbis had the custom of giving a certain poor neighbor 400 zuz before Yom Kippur each year. One year he sent the funds with a servant, who returned and said "don't give him this money; I saw them pouring good wine for him". The rabbi replied "oh, I didn't know his health was so poor that he couldn't handle poorer wine" and doubled his donation.