Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
Need advice from a learned Jew re: the 'poor'
Lubab:
The 10% comes from the money you take in-that means after taxes. (You can do before taxes-but you don't have to).
The Rambam says whom you should give charity to first. You should first take care of your own family the people you know, then the people in your community (this is called the Din of Kadima).
As far as responsiblity goes, its not so simple. The Rabbis tell us that G-d intentionally made rich and poor people so there could be kindness in the world. So really the 10% belongs to the poor person, not us. G-d just wanted to give it to him in this indirect way so you could do the mitzvah. So really you owe him double. You've got to give him his money and you should really give him more because he had to suffer so you could do a mitzvah. It easily could have been the other way around.
With the investments you'd calculate the profit from the investments and take 10% off that.
newman:
If the 10% is calculated on after tax $ you are being double stung. You have earned all of your pre-tax dollars but a government has stolen 30 to 40 % to give some to the poor.
If you have your own business and have no automatic tax deduction, is the 10% still calculated on after tax income?
With referrence to the fist post ( see top ), who do we consider poor in a western country?
jdl4ever:
Nice answer Lubab.
Lubab:
--- Quote from: newman on July 19, 2007, 04:27:21 PM ---If the 10% is calculated on after tax $ you are being double stung. You have earned all of your pre-tax dollars but a government has stolen 30 to 40 % to give some to the poor.
If you have your own business and have no automatic tax deduction, is the 10% still calculated on after tax income?
With referrence to the fist post ( see top ), who do we consider poor in a western country?
--- End quote ---
Hey, nobody is saying this is ideal. This is GALUT. If it was a Torah system you would not have the double sting as you say. But would you rather take the 10% from the pre-tax money-then you're really getting a double sting.
Being "poor" in the Torah is a subjective standard-it depends on the person and what sort of standard of living they are used to. Even a rich person who is used to having 20 cars and now only has 18-it's charity to get him back to his standard. If someone's life is in danger that obviously comes before everything.
Lubab:
--- Quote from: jdl4ever on July 19, 2007, 09:58:51 PM ---Nice answer Lubab.
--- End quote ---
Thanks.
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