As the etymology of that term [charity] (from the Latin root caritas, or "love") implies, charity is a voluntary act of love by one person fo another. The analogous Hebrew term tzedakah (from a root meaning "to be just") has an altogether different connotation: tzedakah is an obligation rather than a voluntary act of grace, an obligation inherent in one’s membership in the community. Although benevolence (khesed, in Hebrew) and acts of loving-kindness (gemilut khasadim) are valued, Jewish tradition holds that the poor should not be dependent on them; as human beings they have the right to a decent life - hence the non-poor are expected to help, in accordance with their means. As Jacob Neusener puts it: "The Jew no more ‘gives’ tzedekah than the citizen ‘gives’ incomes taxes to the government. You pay our taxes because you must." From: Charles Silberman, A Certain People: American Jews and Their Lives Today
“To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time.” John W. Roper Those who get in trouble most often are those cannot seem to keep still, remain silent. Life teaches many lessons. Among the best lessons of life is one my father taught me at an early age was, “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.” The contributions we make to life via our mouth are many and varied. Most of the time, I reckon, they are not contributions at all, but things that diminish the richness of life.
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