Charity and Tithing by Noahides

[Rebekah Lee-Giam Geok Leng]

Last evening, after my Company meeting, I top-up my train fare. Then as I was at the station gate I realised I had lost my fare card. I was quite upset - there go my 3 weeks transportation fare.

But when I read the forum posting on the Charity by Noahides, I was delighted and comforted. In an unusal and unique way someone might need the transportation fare and find my ticket. I feel happy that I am doing my charity to a stranger indeed.

Shalom !

Rebekah Giam
Singapore

[Daniel2]

In your case, it is probably better to provide him directly with these things, instead of giving him cash, which he could then spend unwisely on other, non-essential things, so he would end up coming back again soon for more money.

If a homeless person says that he or she is hungry and I give them some cash to buy food, and they use the money for something that is not so good that could hurt them or others, would I be responsible for those things that they do? I wouldn't give cash to to anyone I would highly suspect of doing such things, and I'm not saying that this happened, but just in case I did, should I repent for giving cash without being 100% certain that it was used properly?

[Joachim ben Noach]

BS"D

May one donate Torah books, holy books, to secular institutions such as libraries?
(It would of course not be known if the books would be treated with the proper reverence.)

Sh'lom
and thank you.

[Director Michael]

If you want to give away such a book, it should be donated to an Orthodox institution such as a synagogue, yeshiva, or other Jewish center. Or it could be given as a gift to a Jew (or to a Noahide if it is appropriate) who will benefit from it and/or have the proper appreciation of it as a holy book.

[Director Michael]

If a homeless person says that he or she is hungry and I give them some cash to buy food, and they use the money for something that is not so good that could hurt them or others, would I be responsible for those things that they do? I wouldn't give cash to to anyone I would highly suspect of doing such things, and I'm not saying that this happened, but just in case I did, should I repent for giving cash without being 100% certain that it was used properly?

Here is the answer I received from Rabbi Moshe Weiner of Jerusalem, author of The Divine Code, on the details of the Noahide Code:

This would not be your fault. But if your reasonable assumption is that the person will not use the money in the correct way, then you should not give him cash. If your presumption is not so, then you are giving charity to help a person. It is his own wrong if he uses it for doing harm or evil. Obviously once you know that will happen, you should stop assisting this person with cash. A Noahide should not assist another person to damage himself.

[Daniel2]

I was approached by someone asking for money for charitable reasons. After I agreed to give some money, I noticed on the card the person gave me with the information that they were from a religious institution of an idolatrous nature. The person didn't mention anything religious at all and I only gave money with the intention that it would be used for the non-religious activities that the person mentioned. Is there anything that would need to be repented for? If I'm in a situation like this next time, would it be better if I don't give any money?

[Director Michael]

... I only gave money with the intention that it would be used for the non-religious activities that the person mentioned.

If you are concerned that part of your donation is likely to be used to fund idolatrous activities, including perhaps missionizing, you could make a stop-payment order to your bank if you wrote a check or gave a credit card number, and the funds were not yet transferred. Of course you would be charged a bank fee for that service, and you would still be obligated to give that amount of funds to a proper charity (preferably one that is also providing needed help to that group of people). Another option would be to fax a letter to the institution, telling them you made the donation (amount, date, check number, etc.), and instructing them as to what non-religious activities you want that money to be used for. Alternatively, you could just rely on the fact that you acted based on what you were told, and if a part of the funds gets used for other purposes, you wouldn't be judged as accountable because you were deceived.

Is there anything that would need to be repented for?

I would say no, since you weren't aware of all the facts at the time you made the donation with the right intention. But you could resolve to be more careful about this from now on.

If I'm in a situation like this next time, would it be better if I don't give any money?

It would be better if you would first ask for information about the organization that the requested donation would be going to, so you can make an informed decision. Or ask for some printed information or a web site address that you'll look over on your own at home, and decide then about how much you'll give.

[Hrvatski Noahid]

B"H

As regards giving charity to secular organizations, I would just like to warn all Noahides against giving to organizations that organize annual idolatrous celebrations in the winter season, thus negatively affecting kids during the formative period of their lives when they are especially prone to outside influences. Donating to such organizations is tantamount to supporting idolatry. There are many organizations where your donation will be put to proper use, such as Ask Noah (for Torah-based Noahide education and outreach), and Colel Chabad (which provides assistance for the basic living needs of needy Jews in Israel). And there are hundreds of other appropriate organizations all over the world that provide assistance for people in need.

G-d bless you all,

Hrvatski

[Hrvatski Noahid]

B"H

In addition to the 7 Noahide commandments, there are logical obligations for Gentiles, which means they must perform them unless there is a logical reason not to do so. In light of this, are poor Gentiles logically obligated to give charity?

[Director Michael]

Citing "The Divine Code", Part I, topic 3:9 (p. 73):
"Gentiles are obligated to give charity, and whether as an individual or a community, they are obligated to be concerned about help for the poor and needy, to help them appropriately in any way possible."

The applies even for a person who is "very poor" (which is a relative designation; a person who is considered poor in a wealthy country might be considered well-off in a disadvantaged country). This includes even someone who goes begging for his livelihood; he is obligated to give at least a bit of his livelihood, at least once in a while, as proper charity to help another poor person - especially for someone who is more poor than he is.

At the same time, a Gentile is not obligated to endanger his own life by giving away money that he or his dependents need to survive - especially since the giving of charity does not have to be only with money. One suggestion is that a poor person can donate blood at a hospital or a blood donation center. A person can also do charitable deeds with his time and effort, such as spending time helping someone who needs physical assistance (for example, helping people who are elderly or disabled), or caring for or visiting a sick person, or volunteering at a charitable institution. Note that if you drive your car as part of doing a charitable deed, the cost of the gasoline you expend is part of the charity.

But in order to be considered true charity, goods deeds must be done with a generous, friendly, caring attitude toward the person who is being helped. If the one helping shows anger or belittles or humiliates the person being helped, that is likely to be counted as a sin.

Dedication to giving proper charity is especially important in our time. As the Lubavitcher Rebbe declared to a CNN reporter in 19'91: "Moshiach is ready to come now, we all must only do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness.”
https://asknoah.org/video/the-rebbes-mes...g-moshiach