Teen Sophie S. examines whether we donate money because we're too lazy, scared, or greedy to do the real best thing.

Feb 25, 2004 -- Why do we, as Jews, value giving tzedakah so highly? The Torah teaches us to help others, but isn't tzedakah a cop-out? If we were really good Jews, we'd all start soup kitchens in our basements and bring the homeless home to sleep in our beds while we slept on the floor. We'd sell all our materials possessions and go to work building free clinics. We donate money because we're too lazy, or scared, or greedy to do the real best thing and change the world ourselves.

Now, while I'll admit there is no substitute for community service and the sense of accomplishment and reward it brings, tzedakah is not a second-class citizen to that. It is in fact a symbol of something else very powerful and highly valued in Judaism.

This middah (virtue) is called humility, or anavah. Jewish texts teach us that it is good to be humble. Rav Abraham Issac Kook taught that being humble leads to happiness, bravery, and dignity. However, we are also taught that there is a balance between being humble and having self-esteem. That's why tzedakah, although demonstrating humility, is so highly valued.

When we give money to organizations, or people, or causes, we are acknowledging what they do. We are saying, "We agree!" and "Keep it up!". We are also acknowledging something within ourselves. We are saying, "I'm not all that great at serving hungry people, but I want them to be full." When we give tzedakah, we recognize the faults within ourselves and that there are things we don't do very well, and this is something that our tradition highly values. When we give tzedakah, we acknowledge that we are not the best at everything.

I once volunteered to work building the Habitat for Humanity House in Northampton. I spent the entire four hours being unable to really help (my job was to move boards across the yard, and when I finished, the crew chief told me to move them back). I left feeling frustrated and unhappy. This hasn't stopped me from donating to the organization though. I have realized that I'm not a very good house builder, but I can support the cause through tzedakah

Reprinted from The B'nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program, a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.