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By Chaya Shuchat
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Receiving mutually anonymous tzedakah takes much of the sting out of being on the receiving end. It
is far better when we lend aid to others unconsciously -- when we give ourselves over to others so
completely that our egos merge with theirs, and neither is conscious of being in a superior or inferior
position.
Thus, Jewish communities of all generations established charity funds, administered by individuals of
supreme honesty and discreetness, who acted on a voluntary basis (with nothing deducted for
"overhead") to collect and distribute funds to the needy in a way that facilitated this high level of
tzedakah.
Level One: Helping someone become self-sufficient.
The most basic need of a human being is to feel needed and capable. Thus, the highest form of
tzedakah is to help someone find a job or set them up in business. This preserves their dignity, and at
the same time transforms them from being a recipient into one with the capacity to give to others.
Similarly, if you are in a position to counsel or give advice to someone, it is important to instill in them
confidence in their own ability to find solutions to their dilemmas, and even be a source of strength to
others.
Our sages say "In the measure one metes out to others, so is meted out to him." In the course of our
lives we face many situations when we are dependent on the kindness and generosity of others to
make it through difficult times. The way we reach out to others when fortune is on our side will often
determine how fate will treat us in our moment of need.
Tzedakah is actually a cycle -- the gifts that we give to others will eventually return to us. Furthermore,
Gd is acutely tuned in to our small acts of goodness and kindness. Our acts of giving stimulate Gd's
blessings to shower down upon all of us, the giver and the receiver alike.
BY CHAYA SHUCHAT
Chaya Shuchat is the author of A Diamond a Day, an adaptation of the chassidic classic
Hayom Yom for children, as well as many articles on the interface between Chassidism and
contemporary life. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner with a masters degree in nursing from
Columbia University.
Artwork by Sarah Kranz.
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