54 Daniel Schiff

that a worthy society has the duty to create favorable economic circumstances and suitable programs that will provide for the feeding, health-care, education, and dignified old-age of those who might otherwise be impoverished, as well as to prevent individuals and families from sinking into poverty. Accordingly, it is the obligation of a society to do its utmost to provide the poor, or those who are in danger of becoming poor, with the means to live in dignity and, hopefully, the capacity to be able to escape the need for public assistance. The halakhic viewpoint does not, however, recognize a “right” for any particular individual or family to become the recipients of public benefits.

Having analyzed these divergent philosophical approaches, it is worth illustrating how the tzedakah-oriented approach differs in practice by exploring the Jewish legal system’s evaluation of the U.S. Social Security system. U.S. Social Security, paid for by F.1.C A. taxes, is actually an amalgamation of three benefits: a retirement benefit, a death benefit, and a disability benefit. Unlike many benefits offered by Western nations, Social Security is not, strictly speaking, universal since only those who have been employed in the workforce for a sufficient period become eligible to earn benefits. Since a very high percentage of American households do in fact become eligible, however, it is tantamount to being universal.?

The broad features of Social Security can be understood as follows: There are compulsory insurance components to Social Security that protect against death and disability, but if these were the essence of the program, there would probably be little need for the Federal government to be involved. The largest part of the Social Security endeavor involves the provision of retirement benefits that account for, on average, forty percent of Americans ’ post-retirement incomes.” Employees and employers jointly pay a 12.4% tax on income, a small component of which funds the death and disability