Friday, March 14, 2008

Ought We Withhold Support from Poor Kollel Yungerleit?


A Simple Jew has posted the question that I have copy/pasted below on his site, along with my answer to the question. Click on over to read the answer...

A Simple Jew asks:

It seems that sometimes there is a misperception that a person who is paid to learn full-time in kollel is living a parasitic existence. A person who is antagonistic to the kollel system faults the system and the person learning in kollel for having a large family. This antagonistic person may even unmercifully turn down requests for financial assistance from these families who are suffering from poverty because it goes against his principles.

The Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 251:10 states that if a person approaches us asking for clothing we must investigate whether he is truly in need, however, if a person comes to us and ask for food we should simply give it to him without investigating.

What are your thoughts about the mindset that prevents a person from helping a hungry person because intellectually he has a problem with how that needy person is living his life?

Dixie Yid Answers...

-Dixie Yid

(Picture courtesy of A Simple Jew)

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