Page 2 - AnnouncementsforFRIDAY Aug 26

26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Re’eh 5782

know to whom he gives and the recipient does not know the Grace after Meals, when we say, “We beseech You,
from whom he takes. This exemplifies doing a good God our Lord, let us not be in need of the gifts of men
deed for its own sake. One example was the Hall of or of their loans, but only of Your helping hand so that
Secrecy in the Temple, where the righteous would place we may not be put to shame nor humiliated for ever
their gift clandestinely and where poor people from and ever.”
noble families could come and secretly help themselves
to aid. Close to this is dropping money in a charity box. The greatest act of tzedakah is one that allows the
individual to become self-sufficient. The highest form of
One step lower is where the giver knows to whom he charity is one that enables the individual to dispense
gives, but the poor person does not know from whom with charity. From the point of view of the giver, this is
he receives. Thus the great Sages would go and one of the least financially demanding forms of giving.
secretly put money into poor people’s doorways. It may not cost him anything at all. But from the point
of view of the recipient, it is the most dignifying,
A step lower is the case where the poor person knows because it removes the shame of receiving.
from whom he is taking, but the giver does not known
to whom he is giving. Thus the great Sages would tie Humanitarian relief is essential in the short-term, but in
coins in their scarves, which they would fling over their the long-run, job creation and economic policies that
shoulders, so that the poor could help themselves promote full employment are more important. One
without suffering shame. detail of Jewish law is particularly noteworthy: even a
person dependent on tzedakah must himself or herself
Lower than this, is where someone gives the poor give tzedakah. On the face of it, the rule is absurd. Why
person a gift before he asks. give X enough money so that he can give to Y? Giving
to Y directly is more logical and efficient. What the
Lower still is one who gives only after the poor person rabbis understood, however, is that giving is an
asks. essential part of human dignity. The rabbinic insistence
that the community provide the poor with enough
Lower than this is one who gives less than is fitting, but money so that they themselves can give is a profound
does so with a friendly countenance. insight into the human condition.

The lowest level is one who gives ungraciously. Jewry has had many distinguished economists, from
Mattenot Ani’im 10:7-14 David Ricardo (whom Keynes called the greatest mind
that ever addressed itself to economics), to John von
This exquisitely calibrated ethic is shot through with Neumann (a physicist who, in his spare time, invented
psychological insight. What matters is not only how Game Theory), to Paul Samuelson, Milton Friedman and
much you give, but also how you do so. Anonymity in Alan Greenspan. They have won an astonishing 38% of
the giving of aid is essential to dignity. The poor must Nobel prizes in the field. Why should this have been so?
not be embarrassed. The rich must not be allowed to Perhaps because Jews have long known that economics
feel superior. We give, not to take pride in our is one of the fundamental determinants of a society;
generosity, still less to emphasise the dependency of that economic systems are not written into the
others, but because we belong to a covenant of human structure of the universe, but are constructed by human
solidarity, and because that is what God wants us to do, beings and can be changed by human beings; and thus
honouring the trust through which he has temporarily that poverty is not a fact of nature but can be
lent us wealth in the first place. alleviated, minimized, reduced.

Especially noteworthy is Maimonides’ insistence that Economics is not a religious discipline. It is a secular art
giving somebody a job, or the means to start a and science. Yet, deeply underlying the Jewish passion
business, is the highest charity of all. What is for economics is a religious imperative: “There will
humiliating about poverty is dependence itself: the always be poor people in the land. Therefore I
feeling of being beholden to others. command you to be open-handed toward your brothers
and toward the poor and needy in your land.”
One of the sharpest expressions of this is to be found in GNS’s August School Supply Chesed Collection was a
great success to benefit the children & families from Chai
Lifeline!
Great Neck Synagogue We thank the Shusterman’s and Siegel’s for being the drop
26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck , NY 11023 off homes for this Chesed collection. We thank all of you
516-487-6100 who dropped off School supplies which will help so many
children. Chai Lifeline was thrilled to receive all the school
Rabbi Dale Polakoff, Rabbi supplies and told us they know it will definitely make the
Dr. Ephraim Wolf, z”l, Rabbi Emeritus children happy and make things much easier for their
Yitzy Spinner, Cantor parents and families!
Eleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor Emeritus Thank you to all those who contributed!!
Rabbi Dr. Michael & Zehava Atlas, Youth Rabbi & Director To contact the clergy or office staff please use the
Mark Twersky, Executive Director following information:
Dr. James Frisch, Assistant Director Rabbi Polakoff: dpolakoff@gns.org/516.637.3674
Daniel Aharon, President Chazzan Spinner: yspinner@gns.org/732.991.6606
Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board Mark Twersky: mtwersky@gns.org/516.527.9076
Jim Frisch: jfrisch@gns.org/516.840.5202