The Talmud however recognizes that this commandment of giving charity and its emphasis in Jewish life allows for all sorts of nefarious schemes and questionable behavior. The Talmud ruefully notes that we should have gratitude to the cheaters and scammers amongst us because they provide us, by their mere existence, with an excuse as to why we did not fully fulfill our obligations towards giving charity. I, perhaps like many of those who read these words, have often been scammed by bogus people who claim to be asking for donations for charitable causes.

 

Try as I have, not to allow these experiences to turn me into a jaundiced critic of all collectors for charity or to develop the cynical attitude towards those who really need help, I must confess that I have great misgivings after giving a charitable contribution to someone whom I suspect, without having any evidence that they might be cheaters or charlatans. And when, upon reflection, I am convinced that I was scammed, it affects me emotionally and spiritually. No one enjoys being made a fool of.

 

This past week a man with the outer appearance of being an observant Jew was waiting for me when I left my home to attend morning prayers at the synagogue. It was a Friday morning and he approached me immediately. He spoke perfect English and said that he was from England and that he was collecting money for a family that literally needed to buy food for Shabbat. He pressed me that I should give him 100 shekel, which he said would suffice to buy the family food for Shabbat.

 

The automobile that was going to drive me to the synagogue was waiting at the corner and I had no time to discuss the matter further with the man. So, I thrust my hand into my pocket and somehow it emerged with a 100 shekel bill. The man took it directly from my hand put it in his pocket and rapidly disappeared down the street. I thought about what had happened almost all day.

 

Was that man legitimately collecting for a poor family or was he just one of the unfortunately many con men who prey on the goodness of others? I doubt if I will ever see that person again and I have no way of knowing if anything that he told me was even close to the truth. I had disturbing vibes pounding within me. And then I thought to myself, why should I suspect that Jew of being a cheater and a scammer? I have no evidence for it and maybe he was truly a selfless volunteer to help a family in need. To put it mildly, I was conflicted by the entire incident. So, I relied upon that statement in the Talmud that I should be grateful to him even if he was scamming me, for he provides me with an excuse for the paucity of charity that I give and exhibit to others.

 

Life presents us with many puzzling and even disturbing situations. We always want to do the right thing, but it is not always clear as to what the right thing is. Very wealthy people set up a system whereby their charity is distributed by others or by people in their employ. This frees them from the burden of being personally involved and the disappointment of being knowingly scammed.

 

When I was a rabbi in Miami Beach many years ago, members of my congregation gave me a sum of money at the beginning of the winter season to distribute to the charity collectors. I always felt uncomfortable in doing so because I could not guarantee in my heart that every dollar I distributed went to legitimate charitable causes or individuals. After a short while I spoke to the benefactors who had given me the money and informed them that I did not guarantee that every dollar was wisely given. These benefactors were convinced though that I had an intuitive sense and would never be scammed. I, on the other hand, found it necessary to disabuse them of this fallacy. I comfort myself that in Heaven charity is judged by the intent and not only by result.

 

Shabbat shalom

 

Berel Wein