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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Micha Berger <A href="mailto:micha@aishdas.org">micha@aishdas.org</A><BR><BR>>> But the
entire concept of tzedaqah literally meaning "[social] justice"<BR>and being a
redistribution of wealth opens the question of exactly how<BR>socialist halakhah
expects us to be.<BR><BR>Thoughts?
<<<BR><BR>:-)BBii!<BR>-Micha</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>Tzedakah is the /opposite/ of socialism. Tzedakah means it is your
money and you voluntarily give it to beneficiaries whom you consider
worthy. In the case of terumos uma'asros, you have the halachic
right to decide which kohen and levi you will give to and the kohen can't come
to your house and take his donations by force -- even though you do have a
general obligation to give and he does have a general right to receive.
The kohen therefore has an incentive to make himself agreeable and useful to his
fellow citizens -- rather than coming at them with "attitude" and "es kumt
mir."</DIV>
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<DIV>Socialism is the opposite -- it's not your money, the government
takes it away from you and decides who to give your money to, whether you think
those recipients deserve it or not. Socialism is attractive to many people
for the very reason that it /frees/ them from the obligation to give tzedakah --
cleanses their conscience -- so they can look at a poor person and say, "You're
not my problem, go to the welfare office and leave me alone." This is, for
the same reason, the big attraction of voting Democat -- it enables you to feel
charitable because you voted to redistribute /other people's/ money, and frees
you of the obligation to give away your own money. Once again,
socialism is the opposite of tzedakah.</DIV>
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<DIV><B><FONT color=#0000ff>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV>
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