Philanthropy - Should We Give Money to Charity? – Yes! - Every One of Us!

Even a pauper should give to charity.  The eminent capitalist philosopher Adam Smith believed that monetary systems would somehow be guided by an “invisible hand.”  According to Adam Smith, free market existence would essentially provide the same goodness for us that Gd provides.  He might as well have said that money is like God because the invisible hand, god which is money, has done away with the basic principle of religion; that it is necessary to give to charity.  Thus, Adam Smith believed that just given laissez faire capitalism, then charity would not be necessary.

From - http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/invisiblehand.asp - quoting from Adam Smith’s book "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations"

"Every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it ... He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for society that it was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good."

Adam Smith was wrong.  The monetary system of the world can be likened to the plumbing system of a vast building.  The belief that an invisible hand fixes all the plumbing isn’t true.  Real hands and active participation are required to fix both plumbing and monetary problems.  In order for the system to run, maintenance is often required.  The belief that laissez faire capitalism will take care of problems is akin to believing drains never clog.  We all know that in a given plumbing system, the drains can clog, so why would anyone conclude that the world’s monetary system isn’t similar?

Torah takes charity even further, suggesting that not only is His justice a part of this world, but that we are an extension of the hand of justice.  Ethics of Our Father's 3:13 (courtesy of www.chabad.org)

Rabbi Akiva would say: Jesting and frivolity accustom a person to promiscuity. Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom is silence.

To one whom has been given wealth, charity is paramount to keeping it!  Hashem commands us to participate in justice, such as charity because He likes it when we imitate His just and upright ways (Deuteronomy 28:9).  God sees to it that justice occurs, but we should hope for betterment greater than that through participation in religious activities, such as charity.  It is 

Hashem’s will that we give to charity, and this is what is promised in return (from Ethics of Our Fathers 4:9):

“Rabbi Jonathan would say: Whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty, will ultimately fulfill it in wealth; and whoever neglects the Torah in wealth, will ultimately neglect it in poverty.”

Stopping the Media Plague That Is Cursing the Innovative Minds of Our Children

I just got done playing with my child. He handed me a spatula, and took his sword and we pretended to be having a light saber duel. That idea of using a spatula creatively like a light saber is something too many children aren’t doing these days. It is no wonder that the experts are saying that the younger generation is not as creative as they have been in previous generations. Though perhaps by accident, not having the money to buy the second light saber becomes a blessing for the creativity of a child’s mind. That is, the child only having one light saber needs to use a substitute to have fun, and through that method of substituting similar things, such as even a spatula, can have a profound effect on the minds of our youth.

So, if you are poor, don’t fret. Don’t ask the government for $9 an hour. Rather, teach your child how to be creative through allowing them to play, and be of assistance to helping them delve into their creative minds, such as through the Spatula Light Saber Substitution Theory (SLST). And, at the same time, find creative ways to make your dollar stretch further, so that you don’t need to beg the government for a higher minimum wage.

Another solution to this problem of lack of creativity is to introduce your child to the Bible stories at a young age. These stories are so fantastic that they seem like fables. However, they will cause your child to engage his or her imagination. Children are naturally inclined to these stories because children like fantasy.

Fantasy is a part of what makes the universe so awesome. Without imagination, there would be no Tesla, no Plato, and no Einstein. The world needs creative folk; one's that shake the foundations of the earth and the heavens for being allowed to play at a young age.