Issue 42 | Parshat Pekudei | Is Charity a Form of Theft?

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IS CHARITY A FORM OF THEFT
Are There Limits How Much to Give

When you give charity do you feel like you are stealing from yourself (albeit it for a good cause)?

How much is too much when it comes to charity? The Talmud places a 20% cap on giving.

But in this insight we discover that the Baal Shem Tov gave more than a fifth of his money to charity. When asked to explain his behavior and reconcile it with the Talmud’s restriction, he shared an idea that changes our entire perspective on giving!

This lesson is most appropriate this week as we read the Torah chapters of Pekudei and Shekalim – both of which share the common theme of tzedakah.