{"id":39803,"date":"2017-12-08T10:55:27","date_gmt":"2017-12-08T16:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=39803"},"modified":"2017-12-10T13:45:05","modified_gmt":"2017-12-10T19:45:05","slug":"off-the-pulpit-does-god-take-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/off-the-pulpit-does-god-take-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Pulpit: Does God Take Checks?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE<\/p>\n

We live in an age of unprecedented wealth. Do we, therefore, live in an age of unprecedented charity?<\/p>\n

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For many people giving is a numbers game. Their livelihood will not be affected no matter how much they give. It is a matter of numbers on a page or a screen. Yet the psychological obstacles to generosity are real. Many who could give don’t simply because they feel an inexplicable sense of loss when giving away money they could easily spare.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have never seen nor heard of an Israelite community that does not have a charitable fund,” wrote Maimonides in the middle ages. Tzedakah is central to Jewish life. Or to put it in a story:<\/p>\n

Once a wealthy Jew came before God after death. God asked, “I gave you so much. Why didn’t you give more to tzedakah?”<\/p>\n

The man answered, “Here, tell me what to give to — I’ll write a check!”<\/p>\n

“I’m afraid not,” God said. “Up here, we only accept receipts.”<\/p>\n

(Rabbi David Wolpe is the spiritual leader of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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