LEV321 … all religions, and many secular philosophies (to the hard-line Marxist, charity is a sop extended by the rich to the poor in order to avoid the revolution. Hence it is an evil) are generous in their praise of the virtue of charity. To the best of my knowledge, Judaism broke new ground when it integrated the act of sharing one's possessions with the needy into its ritual and civil law. The giving of charity is not considered to be merely the exercise of another virtue, like courage, prudence, or self-control. It is an integral part of the Law, like the commandant to offer sacrifices, or not to steal or swear falsely. The commandment enjoining the sharing of one's possessions with "the poor and a stranger" is sandwiched between a ritual law regarding animal sacrifice and a civil law forbidding deceitful dealing with one another. ... [Citing Leviticus 19:9–10] ... A large tractate of the Mishnah and the Jerusalem Talmud (Pe'ah) are devoted to this elaboration of these verses. They form the basis for the law of tzedakah, of sharing one's material possessions with the less fortunate. This occupies a prominent place in every major code of Jewish Law (see Maimonides, Hilkhot Matnot Aniyim and Hilkhot Zedakah, in [sic? should be "and"?] Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah, pars. 247-59).

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LEV322 It was taught: The owners have no donor's rights in Peah [i.e., they cannot give it to the poor man of their choice]. Why so? "Leaving" is written in that regard (Chullin 131b)

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LEV328 True charity bestows as well as receives; "more than the householder does for the needy, the needy does for the householder". (Leviticus R. xxiv. 8). The Talmud quotes the parable of the two lambs passing through a stream, one shorn of its wool the other not. The shorn one found it easier to cross (Gittin 7a). Is not the possession of wealth rather precarious -- with us today, with another tomorrow? "A wheel rotates in this world" (Shabbat 151b explaining the words kee biglal hadavar hazeh in Deut. 15:10), causing some to be on top one day and at the bottom another. The giving of charity is constantly stressed because of this truth. That any Jew should be indifferent to the woe of another is inconceivable [this verse; Deut 14:29; Isa. lviii. 6ff; Job xxxi.13]. No duty is more important, and none ushers in salvation more speedily (B.B. 9a; Sukk. 49b; Ket. 67b).

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LEV327 See [[LEV317]] Leviticus 19:9 harvest TAMARI 251

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LEV325 "To the poor man and to the stranger," and not to ravens and bats [i.e., he must not leave them to be scavenged if there are no poor men or strangers to take them] (Chullin 134b)

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LEV326 It was taught: Two berries constitute "fallen fruit"; three do not. Two stalks constitute "gleaning"; three do not. Whence is this derived? From: "To the poor man and to the stranger you shall leave them": "To the poor man" -- one; "and to the stranger" - one (Yerushalmi Peah 6:1).

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LEV329 See [[LEV795]] Leviticus 19:34 love OXFORD 46-7

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LEV331 See [[EXOD833]] Exodus 23:7 falsehood AMJV 294

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LEV332 See [[NUM390]] Numbers 33:35 Etzion-geber AMJV 342-3

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LEV330 See [[EXOD1075]] Exodus 23:1 false DORFFWITO 74-5

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