Rabbi Knopf's Blog

The practice of giving wheat and/or flour to the poor beginning a month before Passover was so prevalent in some Jewish communities that people in need became hooked on it. But rather than calling for an end to the practice - support an addiction to welfare?! - Jewish law doubles down, teaching that the dependency exacerbates both the need for aid and the community's responsibility. It is a sin to avert one's eyes from the suffering of the poor and hungry, even and especially when they have come to rely upon your help.