DEUT806 With regard to social welfare, Jewish ethics assumes that there are infinite needs, but finite resources with which to address those needs. Jewish ethics considers poverty and hardship to be perennial features of life in a "messy," pre-messianic world. Consequently, Jewish ethics insist that the social and economic needs of the disadvantaged must be addressed and that they must be assuaged, but that it would be unrealistic to assume they could be completely eliminated. Consequently, Jewish ethical teachings regarding social and economic welfare relate more to treating the disease of the individual in need rather than trying to completely cure the economic or social afflictions of society as a whole. Jewish social welfare is individual centered, "client" centered, rather than focused on the messianic task of curing society of all of its economic and social woes. Jewish ethics deals with the problems of the individual poor rather than with trying to solve the problem of poverty.