Page 248 - Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah

WISDOM AND SOUND ADVICE FROM THE TORAH

Giving Alms (Zakat)

Do not go over your vine yard a sec ond time or pick up the
grapes that have fall en. Leave them for the poor and the al -
ien... (Leviticus, 19:10)

When you reap the har vest of your land, do not reap to the
very edg es of your field or gath er the glean ings of your har -
vest. Leave them for the poor and the al ien... (Leviticus,

23:22)

If one of your coun try men be comes poor and is un a ble to
sup port him self among you, help him as you would an al ien
or a tem po rary res i dent, so he can con tin ue to live among you.
(Leviticus, 25:35)

If there is a poor man among your broth ers in any of the
towns of the land that the Lord your God is giv ing you, do not
be hard heart ed or tight fist ed to ward your poor broth er.
Rather be open hand ed and free ly lend him what ev er he
needs. Be care ful not to har bor this wick ed thought: "The sev -
enth year, the year for can cel ing debts, is near," so that you

do not show ill will to ward your needy broth er and give him
noth ing. He may then ap peal to the Lord against you, and you
will be found guilty of sin. Give gen er ous ly to him and do so
with out a grudg ing heart; then be cause of this the Lord your
God will bless you in all your work and in ev ery thing you put
your hand to. There will al ways be poor peo ple in the land.
Therefore I com mand you to be open hand ed to ward your

broth ers and to ward the poor and needy in your land.
(Deuteronomy, 15:7-11)

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