The Rabbi Sacks Legacy Making Poverty History (Re'eh, Covenant & Conversation)
Aug 4, 2026
Three rabbinic stories about giving set the scene. The Torah’s obligations for tzedakah and the difference from voluntary charity are explored. Rules to protect dignity and why even the poor should give are discussed. Rambam’s model of loans and work is compared to modern microfinance. A moral case is made for actively fighting poverty rather than romanticizing it.
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Hidden Giving By Rabbi Abba
- Rabbi Abba secretly tied money in his scarf and let the poor take what they needed to avoid humiliation.
- Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks uses this tale to introduce halachot of tzedakah and respectful giving.
Coins At The Doorway
- Ma'ukba anonymously tossed four coins daily into a poor man's doorway until the man tried to find his benefactor.
- Sacks highlights the act to show the Torah's emphasis on avoiding public shame when giving tzedakah.
Loan That Became A Gift
- Rabbi Yonah lent a ashamed former wealthy man a valuable article, then told him to keep it, preserving his dignity.
- Sacks uses the ruse to show creative giving that protects pride and acceptance of aid.