"
Alms
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Aloes
aiucstiirs iniiliiTiMi iiml will not rt-ap thi' iH'iK'flt : I have galhiMvil uiiil slmll irap tin- l»MU'tlt lUcul. xxlv. l!l-aj) aiucsli>i> luiil up m^asuivs (<ir this world : I. f"r Ihf world "Tliy rinlilf<maiif.<,s to I'oiiu'. iL< II Is saiil ilsa. Ivlll. 81 [aliiisBlvhiKl shall n« bi-torv thre aud the glory ot Ilie Loi-d
My My
sIibU bf thy reanvard."
436
Temple use and not
for chant)-, the fact that for the treasury) was retaineil for "charity" in Christian communities until the third century The Alms-Boxes. ("B. J." ii. 4: Mark. vii. 11, "Aposl. Const. " ii. 30 Cy prian, " De Oper. "and "Elecnios." xiv. ) shows that it was actually treated Even the trumpet shaped like the Temple gifts. alms holders seem to have been retained in the Chnrc^h until the beginning of the fourth century, judging by the term cnnclia (conch-shells) applied to the charity treasury (see Mehlhorn, "Aus den Quellen tier Kirclien-Gesch." i. 27. note 10; against Hatzinger und Knius quoteil in Uhlhorn, "Christl. LiebesAt any rote it is with an alluthiltigkeit," p. 399). sion to the trumpet-like form of the alms-box that Jesus .said (Matt. vi. •ietiu'i/.): "Then'fore when thou doest thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the syua.irogues and [at the public fasts] in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Let not thy left liand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Fathei, which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly." The latter sentence may refer "hand to hand") interto Prov. xi. 21 a/nil leynd preted by the rabbis (Sotah, ih, 'jn) as alluding to Compare also the the giving of charity in secret. Mandaan teachinir (Brand, "Mandilische Schriften," for
the
term knrbnn
(sacritice
This contrast I)elwpi'n tlip treasures of unrigliteoiis Mamnioii (Prov. x. 2| aud the treasures of right<?ousne3» laid up for the world to come (Isji. xxxiii. 6; see the translation in the Septuagiut and Sliab. 31<0 is also alluded to iu a similar utterance of Jesus, in Luke, xii. 33, 34; ^Matt. vi. 19-24: "Sell what ye have aud give alms; proviile youreelves bags which wax not old, a treasure iu the heavens that faileth not. where no thief approaiheth, neither moth eor rupteth. For where your treasure is [whethiT of unrighteousness or righteousness] there w ill your heart be also [your soul iu the world to come]." Here follows ill Slatthew the passage of the single (sincere) eye and the evil eye, misplaced in Luke. xi. 34-36. which recalls several similar rabliinical utterances: "He that gives a free otTering should give with a wellmeaniug [uiibegrudging] eye" (Yer. B. H. iv. II); whereas the rich man who shows an evil (begrudging) eye to the collectors of Alms, will lose liis riches (according to Ecd. v. 12. Ex. U. xxxi). Compare Paul in II Cor. ix. 7-9: "God lovcth the cheerful giver," with B. B. lOi in connection with Ps. cxii. 9. God lavishes his bounty in the same measure as men give. Thus also K. Eleazar referring to Ilosea, X. 12: "The kindness displayed in the giving of alms decides the tinal reward " iSiik 49/<). "Therefore no disciple of the wise should live in a city where there is no alms-box " (Sanh. l~b). Almsgiving should, therefore, be done in secret (Eleazar, B. B. 9ii Derek Ere? Zutta, ix. 4, after Prov. xxi. 14), and not before men. for " he who gives before men is a sinner." as it is said, that God shall bring also " the good deed before his judgment " (Eccl. xii. In view of the 14, Hag. .>(/. Shub. 104rt. B. B. IOk). current exposition (see Sifieon the passage)of Deut. XV. 10, "Let not thine eye be evil against thy poor thoushalt surely give him." as meaning brother. "thou shalt surely give him him directly and no one shall stand between him and thee." the Essaioi or Essenes ("the secluded ones") had their treasury in a chamber of their own in the Temjile, so that both the giving and the taking should remain unob served (Mishnah Shek. v. (i). Such a "chamber of
God and
Mammon.
—
.
.
—
—
the Essenes" (silent or modest ones) D'XCTl nat'? existed in every town in order that the poor of good families should be enabled to receive their support in seclusion (Tosef., Shek. ii. 16). In the same spirit Jesus, in the "Sermon on the Jlount " (JIatt. vi.) says: "Take heed that ye do not your alms [zedakah righteousness] before men to be seen of them. otherwise ye have no reward of your
—
Father which
is
The Temple "treasury" widow 'smite (Luke. xxi. 2; Mark,
iu heaven."
in the story of the
41 ;cotiipare Josephus." Ant." xix.61."B. J." v. 2) which rich ami ]ioor cast their gifts. consisted of thirteen trumpet -like receptacles of brass, so shaped to prevent dishonest people from taking out coins while pretending to cast them in (Shek. v. 1 and Yer. 40, 3; oOA. For later times compare 'Er. 32'J and Git. Gull). The words of Jesus. " This widow hath cast in all the living that she had." refer to Lev. ii. 1, as interpreted by the rabliis Lev. R. 3). " The (loor widow xii.
iiilo
(
briugeth her very olTering. '"
life [>i<fcs!i]
in
her
little
'
meat-
and are an exact parallel to the story of the widow and the priest, or the iioor and King Agrippa. given in the Jtidrash as illustrations. But while the gifts cast into the receivers were intended
.
.
.
=
pp. 28, 64): " If vou give alms do not do It before witnesses. If you (five with the right hand, do not tell It to your left ; If you give with till' li-fl. do not tell It to your right. Any one who giveth and has
w-|tnesse.s,
it
shall not
Almsgiving God.
is
Ite
areounted
to hini."
regarded as an offering brought to
" They that give alms to the jioor. give It to Me." says God. for " iNuni. xxvlll. i). Surely Is said: ".My korban. My hnad " I eounl your glfljj Gotl uee<ls no bread. neveitiii'ifs.s Me says " (MUIr. iLs though you wen* My children supimrting their father Zut^a. Cant., ed. Buber. p. 'Si compare the exact parallel In Matt. XXV. 4.5. when* Jesus speaks siuiply in the name ot God, the Father of alli.
it
The aViuse of almsgiving made itself felt occasionally in Talmiulic times. " He who takes alms by deception, or without need of the s;ime. will finally go loruin." saysan old Baraita(Kel. 68a).
On Giving Compare
Ecclus.
xii.
1-6: "
When
thou
do good, know to whom thou doest Give tuito the good and not unto it. Still, says the sinner" (compare " Didache," i. 5, 6). H. Eleazar (Ket. 68«): "Let us be thankful that there
Alms.
wilt
are deceivers among the needy, to excuse us somewhat for the guilt which the many uncared-for bring upon us." To give Alms only to such as are worthy was there" When fore made an object of special solicitude. given to undeserving persons it is not a meritorious "Hapi)yhe that act, receiving reward" (B. B. 9'.<). considereth the poor," Siiys the Psalmist (Ps. xii. 2); not "he that giveth." This is an admonition to us to take personal interest in him and not simpl.v to give him Alms (Lev. R. xxxiv.). "He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness [almsgiving] endureth forever" (
Compare Talmud Kallah " What shall Ps. cxii. 9). in order to acquire wealth for their children?
men do
Let them do the work of heaven by dispensing alms among the poor." in accordance with Ps. cxii. 9, and Yalk. to Prov. xi. 24: " He that lavisheth bountifully shall increase his wealth, and he that giveth sparingly shall see his fortune decrea.se." In the course of time, almsgiving gave way to organized charity. See Charity. BiBLiOGRAPiiY Israel, lm7.
D. Cassel.
Die ArmenvenpaUung des Alien
K.
