Q&A: What Is Considered Poor
What Is Considered Poor
Question
A question about a specific case (which is probably quite common). Who is considered more “poor” in the following two cases:
- A person who owns an apartment worth 3–4 million shekels, but in their checking account is in debt by several hundred thousand.
2. A person whose checking account is around zero, but who does not own an apartment
?
Answer
What practical difference does it make? For the laws of charity? Give to the one who is in greater distress. Selling the house is not an option in order to create liquidity of a few hundred shekels, and therefore the homeowner is more in need of charity. Of course, that is if the debt was created by livelihood needs and not simply by irresponsible conduct.
Discussion on Answer
The question is whether he has the ability to repay. But as I said, I wasn’t laying down a hard-and-fast rule. The considerations are how much distress he is in. Let the economists come and say who is in greater distress.
Why is selling the house and moving to a much cheaper place not considered an option?
If someone has an apartment in Tel Aviv that he can sell for 3–4 million, he can easily buy a much larger apartment in Afula (or Karnei Shomron or Arad) + cover the debt + still be left with a nice surplus.
Does Jewish law really not discuss what exactly is considered poor, given that there is such a serious requirement to give abundant charity?
Wouldn’t it be worthwhile for rabbis to start discussing this (in halakhic terms of course, and not as “spiritual advisors”)?
It is an option. I wrote that in every case it has to be discussed on its own merits.
The truth is that the one who has property has the option of taking a loan against the property (putting a lien on the property — something like a mortgage), whereas for the one who has no property it is much harder to get a loan.