This Ritual Life Archive

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Here you will find out about ways to enhance your holiday experience, to celebrate or mark a meaningful life cycle event, and to deepen your experience of the everyday. Our authors are especially interested in hearing your responses to what they have written. So after reading, visit the Ritual Life discussion forum where you can join in conversation with CLAL faculty and other readers.

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Receiving Requests for Contributions

The request comes by phone or through the mail. Yet another worthy cause is appealing to you: "We need your help now!" you are told, "You can make a difference!" Each request comes from an organization that is doing good works, an institution that is making a real contribution to improve the quality of life. But the calls and letters are endless, and unable to take the time to examine the merits of each request, you find yourself feeling hassled. The needs are so great, where to begin? Overwhelmed, it is easy enough to avoid the phone calls, to let the letters pile up. But could you choose to see this same scenario in a new way? Imagine recognizing that the calls and letters are coming your way because you have been generous enough to give before, and you and take pleasure in knowing that you are considered to be someone who cares.

MEDITATION

Help me to realize that the people who call or write me are doing a mitzvah. They are doing the work of the gabba'ei tzedakah, the traditional tzedakah collectors, and I am privileged to honor them for their commitment. Help me to be patient with them and supportive of their efforts, even if I do not choose to make a contribution. Grand me the wisdom to know when a cause is good and when I should be even more generous than my inclination would allow.

RITUAL

Deliberate over the many requests by finding a time to sit down with your family when you can decide which causes are important to some or all of you and to which you will contribute. Knowing how difficult it can be to find presents for family members, friends and teachers, this is a good time to consider giving the present of a charitable donation, matching up the cause with the recipient who will be touched by your gesture, made in his or her name.

BLESSING

(As you commit yourself to specific contributions)

Blessed is the one who commands us l'takein et ho'olam-- to repair the world.

TEACHING

The verse "they who provide charity for the many are like stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3) refers to collectors for charity. (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Batra 8b)

Rabbi Eleazar said: One who leads others to do good is greater than one who oneself does good, for it is said, " One who causes the giving of charity confers peace (Isaiah 32:17). (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Batra 9a)

Letaken et ha'olam.

To repair the world.

(CLAL faculty)

CLAL's National Jewish Resource Center develops and publishes rituals that help to bridge the gap between our contemporary lives and the ancient wisdom of the Jewish tradition.