DEUT792 [davar, similar to "dibbur" (speech)] -- From here it was derived that if one told another to give charity and he did, he [the first] is rewarded for both the speech and the act. Similarly, if he said that he would give, but did not get to do so, or if he told others to give, or if he comforted the poor with words alone, he is rewarded for this (Tosefta Peah 4)

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DEUT793 Even if the solicitor is unable to contribute anything, and his only accomplishment is the encouragement of others to give, he too receives blessing from God for his deeds, as we find in the Tosefta (Peah Chap. 3): "Whoever pledged to give and gave, is granted reward for his pledge and for his deed. If he undertook to give but was unable to carry out his word, he will be rewarded for his word, as if the deed had been accomplished. He who did not pledge to give, but told others to give, will receive a reward for this, as it is said: [this verse] 'Because that for this word, Hashem your God will bless you.'" How much more will he be blessed if he also makes his own contribution, as we find (Avoth 5:13): "As to charity contributions, there are four dispositions:… He who wishes to give and wishes others to give is a chasid..."

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DEUT795 See [[DEUT725]] Deuteronomy 15:8 open DORFFWITO 111-2

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DEUT794 Jewish law... does not satisfy itself with establishing a floor of expectations; it also pushes us to aspire to become even better, reaching for an ideal. For example, even though the Torah acknowledges that “there never will cease to be needy ones in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11), it does not allow us to remain complacent, but rather requires us to support the poor in a variety of ways . Similarly, the Torah announces the ideal of justice and also requires us by law to do a number of things in the quest for both procedural and substantive justice.

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DEUT796 God promises to always take care of the downtrodden in society, and at the same time, commands Jews to help the downtrodden and give to them. (Exodus 22:21-22, Deuteronomy 24:19, this verse). Therefore, the act of giving Tzedaka fulfills both obligations at the same time -- God's and each Jew's. Since this is the only Mitzvah which accomplishes both goals in the same act, Tzedaka is unique, and God allows Jews to make giving conditional.

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DEUT797 … endeavor to keep your hands off worldly possessions that do not belong to you. Abstain from the various kinds of theft, fraud, robbery, and wrong committed against others. Hesitate before moving your hands, and reflect on the consequences. Maintain your morals and modesty by exalting yourself above doing wrong with the hands, as it says: “Who keeps his hand from any wrongdoing” (Yeshayahu 56:2); “Who shakes out his palms, lest they hold any bribe” (ibid. 33: 15). Instead, employ your hands in [the performance of] God’s commandments. Open them with gifts to the poor and the destitute, as it says in Scripture: “Open wide your hand to your poor and destitute brother” (Devarim 15:11); “She opens her hand to the poor” (Mishlei 31:20). You must also employ [your hands] in [a vocation] that will supply your needs and keep you from soliciting [from others] or from taking money that is forbidden, [a vocation that will prevent you] from becoming a vehicle for others’ attainment of virtue through their generosity and kindness toward you, so that you not cede to them your merits, your kind acts to one who was kind to you. You must not become a burden to other people. As one of the wise has said, “God will have compassion upon a servant who detaches himself from the world without his detachment being a burden upon his friends, who engages in one of the trades and thus frees them from all trouble on his behalf.” As it says, “You will eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you will be happy and it will be well with you” (Tehillim 128: 2). It has been observed: “Essential to abstinence is the securing of a livelihood.” It has been observed further: “Essential to abstinence is giving thought to securing what is necessary,” that is, one should be industrious in working for one's basic needs.

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DEUT799 See [[DEUT745]] Deuteronomy 15:8 open CCCBM 51-5

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DEUT798 See [[DEUT722]] Deuteronomy 15:7 needy DORFFWITO 26

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DEUT800 The Torah says, "The needy will never cease from amid the land; therefore I command you, saying: You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy in your land" [this verse]. But what is the basis for our obligation to the poor? Why are they our concern? The L-ord made them poor; let the Lord provide! In answer, let us translate the beginning of the above verse somewhere differently: "The needy will not be missing from amid the land." The poor are not "missing persons" or "the forgotten men" in the sight of Heaven. For them too, Divine Providence has put oil, coal, minerals, precious metals in the earth. For them too the warming sun shines its golden light on the crops. It is for us to see that they receive their share.

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DEUT801 If God indeed wants much of our earned money to go to the poor, why did He not arrange it so that these people would have money to begin with? Why have poor people at all? It would be a much better world, with much less hardship. The evil Turnusrufus asks this very question (Bava Batra 10a). The answer is that God wants us to be His agents in the world. Part of the mission of man is to continue the creation begun by God (see the chapters "Shabbat" and "Meaning of Brit Milah" for a fuller discussion of this theme). Rabbi Akivah answered this same question in the Midrash (Midrash, Tanchuma, Tazria 5) that this is the reason why there are no bread trees, even though every culture uses bread and it would have been logical for God to have created bread trees. God wants man to struggle and be creative, going through the arduous eleven-step process from plowing to baking. That is part of man's mission, to be creative in the world and complete the Creation God began. Additionally, man is charged with improving the world, as it says "to perfect the world" (second paragraph of Aleinu prayer, found at the completion of every service). Part of this perfection occurs when man tries to even the economic scales a bit by giving tzedakah. Thus, one of the strangest Torah verses [this verse] now makes sense. God says that there will always remain poor people in the world and therefore man should open up his hands and give. If poverty will always exist, what good is it to try and give to the poor--it won't help? However, we can now understand that God is saying because there will always be this condition of world poverty, your mission to improve it will also continue.

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