Selected Reform Responsa 137

charity are scattered through the Talmud and the midrashic literature (M. Avot 1. 2; B. B. B. 9a, b, 109b; B. Ber. 55a; B. Ket. 67b; B. Shab. 156b; Taan 20b, etc.). Even the poor are to be charitable(B. Git. 7b).

A system for the collection of charitable funds was established in every community and one or two treasurers took care of this task. In fact, no community was to be without such individuals who looked after the poor(Yad Hil. Matnat Aniyim, 9.1-3). Efforts to organize patterns for the distribution of charity were undertaken by the twelfth century Sefer Hassidim, and Maimonides (1135-1204) in his Yad(Hil. Matnat Aniyim), as well as Caro(Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 250 f) and subsequently by Elijah ben Avraham of Smyrna(Mei! I zedaqah). Each of these works listed various gradations of giving and distribution independently without much reference to any earlier effort. The loftiest goal was the procurement of employment for the poor or the provision of a dowry for an orphaned girl; both would remove the recipients from the rolls of the poor and would eliminate a drain on the community(Shab. 63a.; Mak. 24a; Yad Hil. Matnat Aniyim 10. 7 f). No distinction was made between Jew and non-Jew (Git . 61a) nor of rank within the Jewish community(Ket. 6, 7a: Yad Hil. Matnat Aniyim 8; Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 251).

Much effort was expanded on ransom for captives, or if that was not possible, at least proper provisioning for those who were held captive(Rieger, Geschichte der Juden in Rom, 11, p. 316; Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 252. 1). This could extend to selling items from the synagogue in order to help captives(Israel Abraham, Jewish Life in the Middle Ages, pp. 337 ff). Funds were made available for Israel and they were collected by Sheluhim who regularly visited communities(Abraham Yaari, Shiluheh Eretz Yisrael).