Wondering:Worthy Causes
An adult student of mine let me know that during the pandemic they were receiving a little over $280 in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, but as of March 1 the pandemic "extra" has ended and she now will be receiving a little less than $80.
You know that tzedakah is a mitzvah, and in this case that means that not only is it a "good deed" to help others who are in need of basic necessitites, it is a commandment to help take care of each other.
You also know how committed I am - and B'nai Zion is - to supporting organizations in our area (and elsewhere) that provide food to those who are "food insecure."
You also know that food is not the only thing that some people need to survive, but need help acquiring. There are many mitzvot that address these needs, that we need to be doing.
I know that many people in our congregation do help others. Often the help is given fairly "quietly" so that no one else may know about their generosity and helpfulness.
Jewish tradition teaches that one of the greatest ways to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah is by giving in ways that the giver does not know who the receiver is, and the receiver does not know who the giver is.
One example of a creative cause I heard about at the beginning of the pandemic. One of my CNYFTY (Central New York Federation of Temple Youth - which was what I was active in instead of SoFTY) friends told me about her "knit-zvah" project. She was making cotton "knitted knockers" for women who had mastectomies from breast cancer. The cotton was comfortable and washable and did not cause irritation for most women. I have passed the idea to many people, who then began their own knit-zvah knocker projects. The truth is, I am not knitting them, but I glad that others are.
This week I am wondering: Are there needs today that you think are especially urgent? I am not asking in what ways you help others - although I would be glad to know. I am curious about the causes you could recommend and the ways to help - especially if they are interesting. Sometimes the best way to find out about worthwhile causes is from people we trust. And sometimes it helps to hear about causes that we should avoid. Please let me hear from you about your recommended tzedakah mitzvah suggestions. You are also welcome to ask me about my suggestions.
Once again, I want to thank everyone who has responded to my "Wonderings." You are always welcome to respond to any of the questions I have asked by calling or emailing, no matter how long ago the question was originally posed. You can also choose to keep your replies totally private, and not be posted on the Responses page. I always try to remove personal / identifying details when I do post the replies.
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