GEN840 (Continued from [[1037]] Leviticus 25:35 live with BOROJMV 126). The Tur’s [Jacob b. Asher, D. 1340, Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars), “Yoreh Deah” (He Teaches Knowledge), Ch. 251] ruling [regarding help priorities] returns to the traditional hierarchy, almost equating our connection to parents and then to adult children with the obligation to first help ourselves.  We are told to help others only after we have taken care of “our” own needs.  “Should it happen that his parents have been taken captive and he does not have the means to ransom them all, he should follow this priority: He should ransom his father and leave the sons, then ransom the sons, then his brothers, then his other relatives, then his neighbors, then other people from the city, and after these, [He should ransom] captives from other lands.” Even when lives are in danger, perhaps particularly when that is so, we should follow the classic tzedakah priority list.  Though we may empathize with the downtrodden of the whole universe, we must first use our means to save those who gave us life and only then reach out to others with our remaining funds. We pray that God spares us from such heart-rending choices! But should they occur, the Tur gives us tradition to guide us. “Should anyone’s extended household include poor orphans, it is a mitzvah and a good thing to employ them as servants; even though this means over-staffing has home, it will surely be “accounted to him as tzedakah” [this verse]. Translated into English, the phrase “even if it means over-staffing” maybe too literal. In fact, the Tur directs us to hire this needy person, even if we have little use of the services. So, for example, this holds if we have one domestic and don’t need two. This hiring has little to do with household needs, but everything to do with the needs of the orphan, whom we thus help. BOROJMV 126