LEV1050 Perhaps the clearest picture of Judaism's attitude toward the poor emerges from Rambam's great code of law, his Yad haHazakah. There are eight levels, he writes, on which you can deal with the needy: at the lowest level, you give him your charity with a glum, mournful face. At a level above, you give cheerfully, but less than a fit amount. At the third level, you give enough cheerfully, but only after he asks. The fourth level is reached when you put the money in his hand before he has to ask. To attain the fifth level, you leave the money where he can get it without seeing you, to spare him shame. At the sixth level, not only would he not see you; he would not even know that the charity comes from you. The seventh level is reached when all charity is collected by absolutely responsible and trustworthy officials who then distribute it with utter discretion, reducing the shame or embarrassment of the poor to a very minimum. What is the eighth, the very highest level? When someone's fortune goes into sharp decline and he faces poverty, rally to his support: give him money outright [if it can be done without shaming him]; lend him what he needs [you are thus less likely to embarrass him; still better] form a business partnership with him; or give him employment--to thus strengthen his hand so that he will not have to open it and beg alms. Scripture says, "if your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall uphold him… that your brother may live, along with you." In other words (Rambam concludes) strengthen, maintain him so that he does not fall and become indigent (Leviticus 25:35-36. Rambam, Yad haHazakah, matnoth aniyyim, x 7-14). If a man is already impoverished, our Torah regards him as a "brother," a human being to be treated with compassion--not a source of irritation, not a source of amusement through derision or mockery, not someone to "organize" into a large "philanthropic" business to let you bask in glory. He has to be helped with the least possible hurt to his self-esteem; you ignore him at your peril. Above all, preventative medicine is far better than symptomatic relief. If you can save someone on the verge of poverty from the misery of begging charity, before Heaven your deed will shine brightest of all.