Chuck Bennet in a recent article in AM New York wrote about contractors giving money to a charity that is run by a Transport Authority officer. It was also revealed that the contractors were given assignments by the Transport Authority. Thus the donations are deemed to be “with strings attached” and in violation of the state Public Officers Law.

America is a generous nation. In 2004, Americans gave close to $250 billion dollars to various charities. According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2005, the average household gave 2.5% of its after-tax income to charity. 

Why? What are the motivations of the givers?

It is very difficult to determine the true motivations of those who give to charity. I wonder if it really matters. What is important is that money is given to the charity that will ultimately benefit those that need it badly. If the motivation of a millionaire (or should I say a billionaire?) in giving a large amount of money to the local hospital is to have his name on a plaque and be recognized in society, it is sad but it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the hospital will benefit from his generosity, and that patients will be helped. Motivation is a private matter, a matter of conscience.

The ideal model of giving is of course:

“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matt: 6:3)

In other words, do not boast about your giving, keep it a secret. You will at least then be sure that you did not give to be honored and recognized.

In the Jewish tradition the most highly considered community service is the one of preparing the bodies of the departed for burial. Because it is absolutely certain that those who benefited from the service will never be able to pay back.

The Hebrew word for “charity” is Tzedakah, which means justice. It is a very different concept from charity. While charity may imply generosity for those less fortunate, justice is more an action taken to correct an injustice. It totally changes the rapport between the giver and the receiver.

Maimonides, the Jewish Philosopher ranked eight levels of Tzedakah. The second to the highest level is:

“To give to the poor without knowing to whom one gives, and without the recipient knowing from who he received. For this is performing a mitzvah (a good deed) solely for the sake of Heaven.”

As Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said:

Charity never humiliated him who profited from it, nor ever bound him by the chains of gratitude, since it was not to him but to God that the gift was made.