School book to teach gmilut hasidim and tzedakah (good deeds and donations for the benefit of those in need). Guidelines for the lessons in the first part of the book, then teaching texts in Hebrew in the second.
In this tutorial, collected and methodically worked out the main provisions contained in the traditional Jewish religious literature concerning gmilut Hassadim and tzedakah good works and donations to the needy.
Judaism elevates the need and obligation to care for those in need to the level of the commandments. The system of Jewish law requires the individual and society from the high level of responsibility towards the poor and needy members of the community.
The fact that other people were granted on the personal discretion of each, in Judaism, is the law for all.
The existence of this law and the obligations arising from it to any Jew does not mean that we consider ourselves superior to others. The meaning of these obligations is that it is their performance and makes us Jews.
We have set ourselves the following objectives:
to help young people understand the problems concerning the relationship between the individual and society;
introduce her to new ideas for activities in the community;
to show that the Jewish approach's weak and needy members of society, overcoming the temporal and spatial boundaries, is the link between our generation and the generations of our ancestors.
Talmudic sages believed that the study of Torah is preferable to other activities only if it is carried out in the name of advancing knowledge aimed at the practice.
Related to this is the main feature of this book, which consists in the fact that it is not a textbook for a particular school subject. Its theme is inextricably linked to the life of the Jewish community and its most important structural units - the family and the school. Therefore, the practical part of the training, with a view to mastering the concepts of tzedakah and students gmilut Hassadim important role for their parents and grandparents who remember what a significant place in the life of the Jewish community has always occupied a tzedakah and gmilut Hassadim. Accordingly, we recommend that teachers work closely with the families of students, attracting older people to participate in all the activities that will take place both in school and outside of school.
In this tutorial, there are three thematic sections:
1. Charity and donations;
2. Visiting the sick;
3. Assistance to the elderly.
The first and second sections include texts from primary sources, ie of traditional Jewish religious literature, as well as guidelines for teachers on the types and methods of working with students in each of these three topics.
Before acquaint students with the texts of primary sources, it is necessary to explain to them that these texts have one important feature: the situation and often acts described therein, are symbolic, the perfect character, which helps to convey their main idea with maximum conviction.
The purpose of this procedure - to achieve optimal emotional impact on the reader. This means that these texts should not be taken as a role model in real everyday situations.
It should be noted that currently, the second edition of the manual is quite different from the previous one. Significant changes in the structure of the book and its contents, allowing, hopefully, more deeply and fully cover the topic of tzedakah.
Shoshana Kligman
The concept of charity, tzedakah, in social life is based on the notion of justice - Tzedek. However, it is present in another element having no minimal value. This element of chesed - mercy that goes beyond the obligations and debt. Justice - it is a human duty; chesed - is the human compassion in addition to the debt.
We know that the chesed - is the central theme of the Book of Ruth, which is read on Shavuot. The heroes of this beautiful book repeatedly commit acts of mercy, far beyond what they were required to do. But why chesed so closely associated with Shavuot? In the Book of Deuteronomy concerning Shavuot reads as follows: "And you shall rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the fatherless, and the widow, who in the environment of your ... " (16:11).
Now compare these words with those that are said in the Book of Deuteronomy about the holiday of Sukkot, "And you shall rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow who are in your gates "(16:14).
The difference lies in the fact that on Shavuot we see in the stranger, the fatherless, the widow, that is the weakest members of society, a part of us ("who in your environment"), and not those who are only "at the gates of ours." Because of their vulnerability, they are closer to us than family members. We protect them, not because we are required to do so, but because we want to go beyond the law, and thus to show true compassion.
We at the "Joint", we hope that the book will teach about tzedakah is not only my duty, but also to show deep compassion, lifts us above the letter of the law and helping to achieve the level of his spirit.
Dr. Seymour Epstein,
department head
Jewish Education "Joint"
Table of contents
Section One: Charity and Donations
Lesson 1: Help neighbor and its importance in human life
Lesson 2: The concepts of tzedakah and gmilut Hassadim
Lesson 3: Properties of tzedakah
Lesson 4: "Do not be ashamed of a person in public ..."
Lesson 5: How to give tzedakah?
Lesson 6: The sincerity of sacrifice, and a desire to help
Lesson 7: "In accordance with the possibilities ..."
Lesson 8: "In accordance with the need of ..."
Lesson 9: "Do not put off care ..."
Lesson 10: The text of Maimonides' eight levels of tzedakah "
Lesson 11: When and how to take tzedakah?
Lesson 12: What do you think about tzedakah?
Lesson 13: The Individual, Society and tzedakah
Section Two: Visit patients (Bikur Holim)
The first variant (bottom)
Lesson on "Visiting the Sick" Option Two (theoretical)
Lesson 1: The commandment of Bikur Holim, its origin and
meaning
Lesson 2: "Everyone who visits the patient, helping him to recover"
Lesson 3: Divinity at the bedside
Lesson 4: the Free and the visitor Lesson 5: Rules of visiting patients on the Talmud Option three (combined)
Section Three: Help the elderly
Preparatory part
Lesson 1: The content of the concepts of "old" and "young"
Lesson 2: Communication with the elderly and their problems, types of aid
The practical part
Meeting One: Rosh ha-Shanah
Second meeting: Jewish holidays in the family
Meeting Three: Hanukkah
Meeting Four: The organization "Chesed"
Meeting Five: Tu B'Shvat
Meeting Six: Purim
Meeting Seven: The Passover
Meeting Eight: Israel Independence Day
Meeting Nine: Our district
Meeting Ten: final
Questionnaire for students
Practical tips for each day
Appendix A: What's "Hesed"?
Appendix B: Centers "Chesed"
Appendix B: LEKOPO - Leningrad committee to help poor Jews
English
Russian
