Thoughts & Insights

Giving charity is really not a luxury; it is a necessity for both the recipient and the donor. If we want to survive this recession, we need to survive it together...

Can you imagine? Someone feels the impact of a weak economy and responds by giving away more money? Does that make any sense?

Do not be misled by the legendary philanthropy of the Jews, by their saturation of social and humanitarian movements, by their invention of the pushka, the meshulach and the UJA. Jews do not practice charity, and the concept is virtually nonexistent in Jewish tradition.

They asked the Baal Shem Tov: "The Talmud tells us that for every thing G-d forbade, He provided us something permissible. What did He permit that corresponds to the sin of heresy?" Replied the Besht : "Acts of kindness"

Tests revealed that participants were wrong about the impact of money on happiness. A significant majority thought that personal spending would make them happier than pro-social spending...

There are, of course, other ways to give charity. What's so special about the pushkah? Several things: more action, transformed space, elevated time...

Banking has always been a Jewish profession, and in truth, every Jew is a banker. I may have money in my pocket, but it was merely deposited with me . . .

"Here is a wise Jew, who understands that this is only an attempt to test him. He also understands that when he will withstand the test, not only will his business be as prosperous as beforehand, but it will be better than before..."

Imagine a stock trader selling off his computers, a cab driver cutting back on gasoline purchase or a printer auctioning off his presses. You don't tamper with whatever is generating the income!

"Everyone is obligated to give charity. Even people supported by charity must contribute from what they receive." A law that seems radical on the one hand, and absurd on the other...

The wealthy fellow politely explained how he would love to give but can’t, because he already gave his share of charity for the year . . .

Are you investing your life savings based on wikinformation? Are you treating a fatal condition based on a health blog you found? Are you calling a once-in-a-lifetime business contact on a VOIP line?

Millionaire Karl Rabeder decided to give it all away to charity, down to the last penny, or Euro. Would our world be healed if more people did the same? Hardly.