Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.
~ Bible, Proverbs 19:17
Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
~ Bible, Psalm 41:1-3
How different our standard is from Christ’s. We ask how much a man gives. He asks how much he keeps.
~ Andrew Murray
In the scale of charity, the highest is to lay hold of a man who is falling, and to keep him from falling and becoming a public charge, by means of a gift, a loan, a partnership, or by finding him work. Such a man is like a load resting on the top of a wall; as long as it is in its place, one man can take hold of it, and keep it there. But once it has fallen to the ground, five men cannot raise it up again.
~ Talmud, Sifra on Lev, 25, 35
Come an see how great is charity. Ten strong things exist in the world: a mountain is strong, but iron breaks it; iron is strong, but fire softens it; fire is strong, but water extinguishes it; water is strong, but clouds bear it along; clouds are strong, but the wind spreads them out; the wind is strong, bu the body of man withstands it; the body is strong, but fear breaks it; fear is strong, but wine overcomes it; wine is strong, but sleep dispels it; sleep is strong, but death is stronger still. Bu charity rescueth even from death.
~ Rabbi Judah
He who lends without interest is more worthy than he who gives charity; he who invests money in the business of a poor man is most praiseworthy.
~ Talmud, Shabbat, 63
He who gives to charity reverses the course of the river flowing out of Eden, that it may water the Garden.
~ Talmud, Tikkune Zohar, 78a, Tikkun, 21
