Property & Possessions

"The world," states the Psalmist, "and all it contains, is G-d's." It would seem that the Eighth Commandment is superfluous -- since in the final analysis, it's not possible to steal anything

"Charity" is commonly regarded as a basic tenet of Judaism; in fact, the term tzedakah means something else entirely

The transition from an industrial to an information society has had a profound effect on the nature of wealth. When wealth comes from materials, it is hard to deviate from the basic conception that when a piece of the pie is given to somebody else, your ...

Like any small town, Safed has a few professional beggars. None of them are drunkards, thank G-d, or homeless, G-d forbid. They just beg for a living

What is the deeper significance of the "great wealth" promised to Abraham as the reward of galut?

But now he was about to do the unthinkable. He was going to ask his Rebbe to bless him that G-d should send him a comfortable livelihood...

Then he asked, "Who can tell me what the lesson of the Holocaust is?"

The stuff you own owns you. You put your soul and being into acquiring it. Your heart jumps at the thought of it disappearing. It is the tether that ties you to the ground. You could give it all away and lead an ascetic life. But you will be no more than ...

The Talmud tells us that "Rabbi [Judah HaNassi] honored the rich." Many puzzle over this statement: does the fact that Joe has more money than Frank make him a better person?

As the chassid stood at the pile of ashes and smoldering embers which was all that remained of everything he owned, he lifted his eyes heavenward and began to recite: "Blessed are you G-d...."