Other examples of the place charity holds in Jewish literature abound:

• Charity equals all the other commandments.

• A penny for the poor will obtain a view of the Shekinah.

• Whom God loves He sends a golden opportunity for charity.

• By benevolence man rises to a height where he meets God. 

• What you give to charity in health is gold, what you give in sickness is silver, and what you give after death is copper.

It seems evident that, biblically and talmudically, giving is an integral part of Jewish life. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jewish people are very generous. They are key players in the leadership of charitable organizations, especially those involving education (religious and secular), health care, and the arts. To what can we attribute this generosity? An old Yiddish proverb states, “The longest road in the world is the one that leads from your pocketbook.” Understanding the truth behind the humor in that adage, Judaism begins teaching about giving while its people are very young. As a child, I was taught various ways of giving, most of which centered around the synagogue. Funds for Israel , education, and immigration were usually raised by pledges. An old but effective way of developing habitual giving involved something called a pushke, which is a small collection box kept in the home. Various charitable groups will supply the pushke, have the family keep it for a period of time (usually a week), and pick it up before the Sabbath. Families collect money for any number of charities-trees for Israel , homes for senior citizens, widows, various brotherhoods, sponsoring passage to Israel for those who wish to migrate but cannot afford it, buying food for the hungry, etc.