No Questions Asked

I went to college in New York City and often, on the way to class, was asked for money by people on the street.  Initially I gave without reservation.  Over time, friends and others suggested that I should probably be more circumspect.

After all, I wasn’t sure how the money would be used and I might be giving financial support for self-destructive behavior.

So, following the example of others I witnessed, I began asking those seeking money if I could buy them a sandwich or a piece of fruit.  Some refused, but many accepted.

As a rabbi, I’m often asked to provide money for people in need.  In keeping with the dynamic I discovered as a young man, I respond by giving food cards, no questions asked.

Centuries ago, Rav Yehuda articulated the principle, ein bodkin lim’zonot (Talmud, Bava Batra 9a), meaning that when it comes to providing food, we don’t ask questions.  We don’t examine background, we don’t try to assess motivation.  If someone says he needs food and we are able to provide it, we do so, no questions asked.

I believe this is something that Hatzilu, an organization devoted to providing relief for needy Jews, has always understood.  From the time I moved to Long Island as a rabbinical student, over 20 years ago, I have always been impressed by the intuitive sensitivity that animates Hatzilu’s many volunteers.  The sensitivity emerges from the bedrock understanding that food is a basic human need and hunger is simply unacceptable.

From ancient Palestine to modern New York City and its environs, the words of Rav Yehuda continue to reverberate.  Ein bodkin lim’zonot.  When it comes to giving food, no questions asked, except for one:  How can we continue to help?

Written for the Hatzilu Newsletter, March, 2012