The Jewish Relationship To Wealth And Charity

While each major world religion holds its own individual beliefs on wealth and charity, Judaism is unique in that a stereotype of the wealthy Jew exists worldwide. Though some aspects of the stereotype may be rooted in reality, many people fail to understand the full scope of the Jewish relationship to economics. The New Testament preaches a rather strong aversion to material wealth; the Hebrew Bible, on the other hand, sees wealth as a means for God’s people to advance while on Earth. However, this does not lend itself to the preaching or encouragement of greed; on the contrary, Jews see charitable acts as being equally important to the accumulation of wealth. Though it is often undermined and overshadowed by stereotypes, the Jewish relationship to wealth is vast, multifaceted and clearly defined.

Christianity relies on the belief that the accumulation of material wealth is detrimental to one’s ability to live a life without sin, and therefore can affect one’s afterlife. There are many New Testament passages that support this belief: for example, Jesus claims in the Sermon on the Mount that 'You cannot serve God and Money (Matthew 6:24). ' In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus advises a wealthy man to '. . . sell everything you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven (Luke 18:22). ' Taking it a step further, it is asserted that a man of means cannot enter the Kingdom of God later in the story: 'How hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Luke 18:24-25). ' The Hebrew Bible, however, hosts a multitude of stories that suggest instead that wealth itself is not something to avoid, and the pursuit of wealth is not a condemnable act. One such story that illustrates this admiration of entrepreneurship is the story of Jacob and Laban, where Jacob outsmarts his Uncle to eventually build up a small fortune of his own. 'So the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, maidservants and menservants, camels and asses (Genesis 30:43). ' Before the story of Jacob and Laban, Jacob’s father Isaac was asked to leave the Philistines due to his wealth, with the King saying 'Go away from us, for you have become far too big for us. ' While this may appear to be a somewhat malicious act, the Torah does not outline it as such; instead, it is clear that being a man of means does not in turn indicate that the individual is immoral in any way. Instead, Jewish people see being bestowed with wealth as a sign of being held in God’s favor. In fact, several Jewish prayers actually request God bestow wealth onto the people. One such prayer is included in the conclusion of Shabbat: 'God who separates sacred and profane may also forgive our sins and increase our seed and wealth like grains of sand and stars in the sky'.

The Jewish encouragement of the pursuit of wealth does not come without boundaries, however. The main argument for wealth being in support of morality, instead of against it, is derived from the belief that God gives people the power to derive wealth from the material world. Moses expressed the importance of this belief when speaking to the people on the edge of the Promised Land: “. . . beware lest your heart grow haughty and. . . you say to yourselves, ‘My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me. ’. . . Remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to get wealth. . . ”. Rabbi Meir Tamari, the director of the Centre for Business Ethics in Jerusalem, emphasizes the importance of human wealth being truly owned by the divine. In his 1995 book, The Challenge of Wealth, Tamari asserts that wealth being a gift from God “is the only reliable means whereby greed is able to be channeled into morality”. Instead of wealth being viewed as a purpose for existence, it is viewed in Judaism as a means to a much larger end. This end by which wealth is the means has many facets, including building and maintaining a Jewish home, the ability to give time and attention to one’s family, the ability to foster a Jewish education, birthright trips and, above all, charity.

Charity is an incredibly integral part of the Jewish faith, and is closely tied to the concept of economic wealth. The Hebrew word for the English equivalent of “charity” is Tzedakah; charity, however, doesn’t fully encompass the meaning of Tzedakah. According to Judaism 101, a Hebrew dictionary and education site, “giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due”. Tzedakah is actually one of the Mitzvahs, the 613 commandments Jewish people are obligated to observe and perform, and represents one of the most important obligations of Judaism. Tzedakah also requires a giving of compassion and empathy accompanying the monetary gift, without which the act would not fulfil its ethical purpose. This is emphasized by Rabbi Maimonides, who wrote in his book that 'whoever gives tzedakah to the poor with a sour expression and in a surly manner, even if he gives a thousand gold pieces, loses his merit. One should instead give cheerfully and joyfully, and emphasize with him in his sorrow'. This obligation to share your wealth with others exempts no man in Judaism, meaning that even those who are themselves in need must continue to annually give to others. Traditionally, 10% of one’s earnings are given to those in need, with the amount typically topping out at 20% of a household’s income. This constant obligation to give to others goes hand in hand with pursuing personal wealth, and supports the Jewish belief that wealth is a gift from the divine intended to help his people do good in the world and in the lives of others.