Jewish Musings Tuesday, August 29

[hollygail]

What’s on your mind — how to make kugel? This week’s Torah reading? Life goals? Prayer? We are all engaged in weight loss/weight maintenance journeys and we are all Jewish or at least interested in Judaism. We like to eat, we like to discuss. It is our goal here to provide each other support on our journeys, to share experiences, to call on our rich cultural heritage and texts, and to help each other grow spiritually.

Some of us take weekly turns starting the thread:
Holly
Lee
Louise
Lynne
Peachy

And for those of you who stop by to read this thread without posting — you are welcome to, but you are also welcome to chime in. Don’t be shy!

[hollygail]

One of the rituals described in this week's Torah portion is that every third year, Israelites must set aside a tithe (10%) of the produce that year's crop produced, and they must give it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan (fatherless), and the widow. Levites did not have their own property (land) on which to grow what they needed to eat, and the other three categories of people were those who had no one to stand up for them or to help them. In modern terms, I'd refer to them as the disenfranchised. So, also from a modern perspective of how to carry out Torah's directions, we might say that when we Jews celebrate, we must remember those who are less fortunate. The passage from Deuteronomy imagines that the Israelites who tithe have already become prosperous. The tithe reminds us that Jews must give to the most vulnerable in society. While it would be great to imagine a society without those who are poor and on the fringes, the Torah is very realistic about how society works. Such people will always be with us, and therefore we will always have responsibilities to them.

Less than 40 years ago, an organization was formed: "Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger." You may or may not have heard of it. They ask that when we celebrate a simcha, that we donate 3% of its cost to Mazon. They feed hungry people all over the world, and not only Jews but all hungry people. When DH and I got married, we asked people to make a donation to a Jewish charitable organization and my cousin in San Francisco made hers to Mazon. I've never been prouder of her than I was when I received a note from Mazon informing me of her act.

I'm not making a plea here for Mazon. I'm asking you to tell us something about what you do or have done or plan to do regarding sharing your gifts (whether financial or otherwise) with the less fortunate, however it is you want to interpret my words.

Only one example: For most of my life, I have spoken in front of groups of people without fear (I read once that the #1 fear people have is death and the #2 is speaking in front of an audience). For many years I volunteered for what was at the time called the Tucson Rape Crisis Center to be on their Speakers Bureau. I went to many local groups (Neighborhood Watch, University students organizations, churches, you name it) to speak about rape awareness and prevention. Granted, it wasn't a financial donation, but I gave my time and talents for the prevention of rape and child molestation. I know I've said that as a young person I marched in Washington with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And those are only two examples of things in my own past. I've never mentioned the checks I've written as donations to groups who helped people I wasn't able to get to, but I've almost always asked that my donations be anonymous.

[lee058]

Good morning everybody. Hope you are all well and SAFE!

Re today's topic: Most recently (last several years), I've donated to a food bank. When I was younger, I was involved with several different women's groups; speaking, paperwork, phone calls, etc. I've also been involved in Democratic groups.

Have a peaceful day, Lee

[peachymom1]

I grew up poor and struggled financially most of my adult life, so giving money wasn't an option for me until I got into my 50s. But I have given blood 120 times. Whenever I have a bad day or am feeling down, a great way to raise my spirits is to go to the Red Cross website and read stories from blood recipients. Not only does it make me feel good for what I've donated, but it reminds me that many people have much more serious issues than I do.

I'll BBL - someone is pinging me on Teams.

[louise]

I don't donate enough and I certanly don't tithe. I need t work on this.I do make donations to things and volunteer as well but I could donte ore money. As it happens we put a Mazon donation envelope in each mahzor for the HHD but I really don't know if people send anything in. Thank you for the nudge - this year I will.

Read Freida's post this morning. Oh my - I freaked out in a MRI achine once but she is pressing on. I am so sorry you are going through so much, Frieda, but it does sound like you will come out of this okay. My thoughts are with you. I understand that it's not just what you are go ng through but the fear that comes with it. I hope DH (and the rest of the family) is being supportive.

Never got here yesterday. My mother's mother never learned to read Engish. She and my grandfather had a dry cleaning store. She did the alterations. She wrote up what she needed to in yiddish and learned to read enough to handle the cleaning slips. She would rewrite directions on medicine bottles in yiddish. I remember mistakes over the years like being at our house and spraying her hair with foot spray - it looked right. Mostly she recognized the boxes she neede to when she was shopping. Very endearing. And always very capable. I wish I had her recipe for mandel bread!

[gazelle18]

I do donate a good amount of money to charity, and I feel fortunate that I can do so. My parents, who were definitely NOT wealthy, always donated what they could. My dad said we have a responsibility as Jews to do this, and he called it “the Jewish tax.” This is the tax we pay for the privilege of being Jews.