Charity and Tithing by Noahides

[bdschuh]

About tithing ...

Is tithing for Noahides modeled after tithing for Jews? The Jews give a terumah of 1/40th. Then a first and second tithe, as well as the first of the dough, fleece, and several other things I cannot remember. Or do we simply give 10 percent to who teaches us Torah?

G-d bless,

Brian D. Schuh

[James7]

Noahides aren't required to tithe. We can give if we want to, and there are no rules on what to give; only that we shouldn't give to charities that promote man-made religions.

[Director Michael]

In reply to Brian,

Is tithing for Noahides modeled after tithing for Jews?

The tithing which the Torah commands to Jews is that the general population of Jews living in the Holy Land are required to give specific agricultural gifts to the Jewish priests (Kohanim), Levites, and the poor, during times when the Holy Temple is built and functioning, and the rules of Jewish ritual purity are in force with respect to the Temple. None of these tithing gifts are given in our days, since the desruction of the Second Temple (until the Messianic redemption and building of the Third Temple, speedily in our days). In rememberance of the commandment, it became a Jewish custom to give at least a "tithe," i.e. 1/10 of earned income, to poor individuals and to proper charities. Noahides are also very much encouraged to give charity and to perform acts of goodness and kindness.

The Jews give a terumah of 1/40th. Then a first and second tithe, as well as the first of the dough, fleece, and several other things I cannot remember.

None of these gifts to the Kohanim and Levites in the Holy Land are given during this temporary era of Jewish exile. When the Temple is standing and the Jewish tribes are settled in their ancestral areas, a Noahide can live in Israel as a Ger Toshav, and can participate in giving these tithe gifts.

Or do we simply give 10 percent to who teaches us Torah?

There is no requirement to give exclusively to persons and institutions which teach Torah.

[Judith]

hello all
On the same subject but a different question, regarding charity to family members, if one has a family member who just blows their money on whatever with no regard to saving for their needs, and then is broke until their next payday, and they keep coming to the rest of the family begging them for money and things they should have been able to buy if they wouldn't blow their money the day they get it, is the family obligated to support this person when they can even barely support themselves because they don't make much money but they do budget themselves at least, on a related side note, when i give to street beggars i don't ask them any questions, but i do know a lot of them have the same problem as the family member, am i being hypocritical? I try and tell the family member to budget, but they don't seem to care, (however they are fed, clothed,etc. the basic necessities) this is creating much family conflict for a long time, any advice would be very appreciated, shalom and thank you!

[Judith]

hello again all! :-)
well, after much praying and pondering, I think i know what we have to do,since we shouldn't impoverish ourselves we just have to stop, or set a limit, i do have a limit when giving to street beggars, just a couple dollars a month but that's all i can do on a fixed income and now with prices going up everywhere SIGH ,this family member will just have to make himself budget, otherwise instead of being on the brink of impoverishment Gd forbid we will be impoverished because of their carelessness, and just as bad the tension and arguing over this is so out of control its making everyone's evil inclination get worse (we all live together too) so as hard as this is going to be but i'm praying it will go well, i have to try and put my foot down, kind of like a kid in a toy store, you can have 1 toy and its hard to see them cry, but we cant buy them the whole store! lol
Thank you ^_^
Judith

[Director Michael]

BS"D

Hi Judith,

I see from your second post that you have a handle on the situation, and you know how it should be managed under the difficult circumstances. Since your live-in relative is an adult who's having a lot of personal difficulties, your helping him with just the basics of food, clothing and shelter, is indeed an act of charity. In your case, it is probably better to provide him directly with these things, instead of giving him cash, which he could then spend unwisely on other, non-essential things, so he would end up coming back again soon for more money. The best thing would be to help him improve his situation on a long-term basis, like getting him to personal or vocational counseling, and getting on a waiting list for a subsidized apartment of his own, where he could take on more personal responsibility.

[NiklasTyreso]

Is it tzedaka (charity) only when I give to a cause that directly benefits other humans? Can it be tzedaka to give money to a non-religious and non-political environmental organization (like a wildlife fund)?

Shalom!
Niklas
Sweden

[Director Michael]

Many of the so-called "wildlife fund" organizations are actually politically active organizations, because they use some or most of the funds they collect for the purpose of lobbying politicians on environmental issues that the organization has targeted, or for advertising to influence the public's support for politicians who may or may not support certain environmental agendas.

It is important to have compassion for animals, and concern that humans should properly manage (on a long-term basis, and with a reasonable expense) the local and global environments that G-d entrusted both to the care of, and benefit for (!), human beings. G-d gave mankind the task to watch over the world and take care of it, since the whole world is a special garden that gives delight and pleasure to G-d. That includes even creatures that mankind may never discover or come in direct contact with. Through the complex food chain, those creatures are ultimately linked with creatures that do have direct contact with humans.

During the Six Days of Creation, G-d created all the animal life before He created Adam and Hava (Eve), to teach mankind the lesson that the world and everything in it was created for the sake of mankind. If not for mankind, the rest of the creation (comprising both the physical and the spiritual worlds) has no reason for its existence. We see that when G-d brought the Flood in the days of Noah, He destroyed almost all members of the  species of animal life that shared the inhabited world (the dry land) with humans, yet because of His love for the animals, He preserved a saving remnant along with Noah and his family. And when G-d made His eternal covenant in lovingkindness with Noah that He would thenceforth preserve the world, He also made that exact same convenant in lovingkindness with all the creatures in the world - that He would eternally preserve the human race (but not necessarily every specific nation), and the "natural" creation (but not necessarily every specific species).

It is important to keep in mind that in Hebrew, the word "tzedaka" (usually translated simply as "charity") also means "righteousness," meaning to do what is right in the eyes of G-d. This means that a person CAN NOT judge whether his actions and concerns are righteous and properly charitable unless he weighs his actions in the light of the universal Seven Noahide Commandments. Thus we see that in Nazi Germany, there were strictly enforced laws against cruelty to animals, while at the same time the society displayed and acted out the utmost cruelty to groups of people who they singled out for destruction (including even the elderly and handicapped of their own German countrymen). This happened because they rejected the One True G-d of Israel and His commandments. Any such rejection, if unchecked, will ultimately lead in that sinful direction.

In terms of proper utilization and development of national resources, the following videos of a discourse by the Rebbe give Torah-true advice:

https://asknoah.org/video/americas-manda...dependence

[NiklasTyreso]

Thanks for your answer on if it is possible to regard donations to environmental organizations as tzedaka.

Your answer covers different aspects. That of political aspects (but no issue is not political) and that the environmental issues often are a matter of proper utilization and natural resources. Also, that a good environment gives joy to both G-d and humans.
You write that tzedaka means "righteousness," so increasing righteousness (according to Noahide Laws) and decreasing “unrighteousness” in the world should be the goal with giving.

I miss one aspect in the answer. What is the definition of tzedaka?
A definition would make it easier to know if I just give to a good cause or if I give true Tzedaka. Or is it up to me to decide if it is increasing righteousness?

Yours
Niklas

[Director Michael]

"Tzedakah" is the word in Hebrew for one of the Jewish commandments. The Rebbe explains the meaning of this commandment in Likkutei Sichot, Vol. II, pp. 409-411 (edited slightly here from the translation by Sichos in English):

"Charity" commonly means gratuitous benefactions for the poor [a dictionary definition]. The giver of charity is a benevolent person, giving when he need not. He does not owe the poor person(s) anything, but gives because of his generosity.

"Tzedakah" has a completely opposite meaning. Instead of connoting benevolence, it is the idea of justice - that it is only right and just that one gives [something as] tzedakah. There are two reasons for this:

1) A person is obligated to give to another person, for the money is not his own. G-d has given that money to him on trust, for the purpose of giving it to other people.

2) G-d is not beholden to man, yet gives him what he needs. A Jew must act in the same way, indeed is obligated to: he must give to other people although not beholden to them ... because he has transcended his natural instinct and given when not beholden

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Apart from this the Rebbe told a CNN reporter in '91, as a message to the world, “Moshiach is ready to come now, we all must only do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness.”

Gifts to other causes, such as funds for sensible and proper management of the environment, are within the category of the obligation for "yishuv olom" - establishing a healthy and properly functioning natural and societal environment for human beings in the world (the "olom"), because this helps to fulfill G-d's desire for mankind.