It is a long standing Jewish tradition to give and not ask for or expect anything in return. I have to chuckle when a number of my friends rush to make year end contributions of junk and cheap food (food that THEY wouldn't eat) in order to garner tax deductions. Yet the rest of the year they are busy watering their lawns and waxing their BMW's. There's nothing wrong with those past times (have done my share of watering and waxing), but to think of those that need help, and to give that help, only if it gets you something material in return, is not in the true tradition of charity.
Boris Liberman wrote: > Hi! > > Tom, Shel, et al, my observation even at my young age is that with > time tolerance levels seem to drop. At least so it seems where I am. > "Tel Aviv second" is getting shorter and shorter... > > In Israel there are huge many people who live beneath minimal level of > income set by the state. Fortunately the tradition and other factors > make it so that most of these people get help which includes free hot > meals and so on. > > Even more unfortunate is things such as the most recent article I read > in our local newspaper. There're people who come to those places where > free meals are served. But after the meal they drive away in quite new > Volvos! These people are very few but they put shame on so many others > who don't deserve this shame. > > In my family we have a custom - every time there is a person who > knocks in our door and asks for donation - he or she gets one. No > questions asked. Theoretically, they usually give receipts and at the > end of the year I could collect all these receipts and get certain tax > deduction. The custom of our family says that we never do it. This > would defeat the whole purpose of donation. You donate but then you do > not expect anything in return... > > You can call me stupid if you wish... > > Boris
