tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451958387969081740.post8348494730302147840..comments2023-10-06T15:59:44.389+03:00Comments on Shearim: Nothing but DonationsMiriam Woelkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07627379693165339825noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1451958387969081740.post-56756279930207534402010-11-03T15:28:24.640+02:002010-11-03T15:28:24.640+02:00Regarding the statement "Halacha says that al...Regarding the statement "Halacha says that although we may have given a "wrong" donation (where the person is using the money for himself), we still earned the merit and the Mitzvah is ours.", that is not accurate.<br /> <br />We learn from Yirmiyahu ha'Navi that giving charity to an undeserving person is not the same mitzvah as giving it to a deserving person. It is a good deed, and one can get zchar for doing chessed, but it's not considered Tzedaka.<br /> <br />The Gemarah in Baba Kamma (bottom of 16b) mentions a posuk in Yirmiyahu (18:23) where we learn that he was accused falsely of doing something bad and while in captivity, he prayed to Hashem that his accusers "give charity to the undeserving" and Raba explains that since giving Tzedaka to 'undeserving' results in no reward, Yirmiyahu wanted to deprive them of the Mitzvah of Tzedaka.<br /> <br />We see from this Gemarah in Baba Kamma that giving to someone who is undeserving is not fulfilling the mitzvah of Tzedaka. <br /> <br />However (as is often the case... ON THE OTHER HAND) we see from another gemarah, Qetuboth 68a that anyone who turns a blind eye to giving charity is like serving false Idols. The gemarah learns from there that giving tzedaka fulfills 2 mitzvot. One is the commandment to give charity and the other is to do chessed which is following in the ways of Hashem.<br /> <br />SO while giving to an undeserving party one clearly followed the way of Hashem and did chessed, I am not sure according to Halacha one gets credit for the mitzvah of Tzedaka. <br /> <br />Please let me know if you have a reference in Halacha that giving to the undeserving is fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedaka.<br /> <br />I don't mean to sound like some frummi... which I am most definitely NOT! I just love learning.. following halacha is whole different ball game!! <br /> <br />Keep up the good work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com