EXOD962 No duty [other than tzedakah] is more important, and none ushers in salvation more speedily [B.B. 9a; Sukk. 49b; Ket. 67b]. "As long as the Temple stood", declared Rabbi Eleazar, "a man would donate his shekel and receive atonement for his soul [this verse]. Now, however, in the absence of a Temple, it all depends on the giving of Tsedakah; if he gives, all is well, if not, hostile forces will come and deprive him of his wealth by force" [B.B. 9a; Abot d'R'Nathan iv; Hosea vi.6]. To ignore giving help to any deserving cause is regarded by Rabbi Joshua b. Karcha [Ket. 68b] equivalent to idol worship; for it brands the man as "possessed" by his possessions, a worshiper of the "Golden Calf".