DEUT723 See [[LEV1031]] Leviticus 25:35 kinsman BLOCH 51-2

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DEUT722 As Owner of everything, God also has the prerogative to make demands about how the world's property is distributed. Thus the most straightforward reason in the tradition that we must care for others is that God commands is to do so. So, for example, with regard to the poor, the Torah says this: “If there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs... For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land (Deuteronomy 15: 7, 8, 11).

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DEUT724 See [[LEV1040]] Leviticus 25:35 straits LEHRMAN 54-5

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DEUT725 While the Torah and the later Jewish tradition provide a number of rationales for helping the poor, the ultimate one is that God commands us to do so. This becomes clear, for example, in the following passage. Here the Torah tells us clearly that we should not expect to accomplish the utilitarian purpose of ridding the world of poverty, which might be one of the aims we have in mind in giving charity, “for the poor will never disappear from the earth.” Nevertheless, we must help the poor in response to God's command: (Deuteronomy 15: 7-8, 11). God owns the earth. As Owner, God can, like all human owners, decide how to apportion God's property. We human beings own property only vis-a-vis other human beings but not vis-à-vis God. Therefore, when God determines that some of the earth's goods that happen to be in our hands must be transferred to the poor, God has full moral and legal authority to make that demand (to say nothing of the power to enforce it), and we must obey.

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DEUT726 Do not refrain from helping the poor. Whenever you have the means and the opportunity, do not hold yourself back from giving charity and performing kindness for unfortunate fellow Jews, and your relatives are your first priority. The Torah commands us not to allow ourselves to be ruled by stinginess. Rather, we must instill into our hearts the positive traits of mercy and benevolence, never worrying that our giving will cause financial loss. Our benevolence towards fellow Jews will bring us blessing from Hashem, and His blessings are much more valuable than any sum of money in our position. See [[EXOD709]] Exodus 22:24 lend CHINUCH 43-4.

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DEUT727 This teaches us that a poor man who desires [("taev," similar to "evyon") strongly what he is lacking] takes precedence [to other varieties of paupers] (Sifrei)

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DEUT728 … determining precedence [in giving tzedakah], even within categories, depends on how dire the situation is in each case. Rav Moshe Shternbuch…quotes Vilna Gaon on [this] verse "You shall not close your hands to the poor." When a person closes his or her hand and looks at one's fingers, they all appear to be the same length. It is only when the hand is opened that each person realizes that each finger is of a different length. This, the Torah is telling us not to close our hands to the poor and see each situation as equal. Rather, we are obligated to open our hands and see that each finger, situation, is of different length, need, and then we will be able to determine [which situation is more dire].

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DEUT731 We are forbidden to fail to aid the poor. If you are able to aid someone who is poor and you fail to do so, you violate a Torah prohibition. (Chinuch 478). If a person closes his eyes from giving charity, it is as if he has committed idolatry. (Ksubos 68a). You must take care to give charity to the poor because failure to do so immediately could cause the death of that person, as was the case with Nochum, ish gam zu. (Yorah Daiah 247:1) [See Taanis 21a] ... If a person realizes that all of his faculties are given to him for one purpose, to fulfill the will of God, he will gladly share all that he possesses with others. This applies to both his wealth and his knowledge. (Introduction to Shaarey Yoshor).

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DEUT729 See [[760]] Deuteronomy 15:9 base SPERO 139

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DEUT730 See [[DEUT381]] Deuteronomy 8:11 forget SPERO 137-8

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