Reply To: Charity — What's More Important? The Act or the Amount?

Thank you all for your responses. They are appreciated.

Just like a person needs to give ma’aser with his money, he needs to give with his time etc.

Well, I do do chesed with my time (although, admittedly, not 2.4 hours per day). That’s why I focused solely on the monetary aspect of chesed.

The only instanse where I can see the autopayment as a bad thing is if you beleive that you have fulfilled your obligation to give tzedokah and no longer have any involvement at all (since you asked the question I’ll assume that is not the case).

On the contrary — that’s EXACTLY the issue. I no longer think about the tzedaka I’m giving — it just goes. That’s why I asked what is more important — the fact that the money gets to where it needs to (which I am accomplishing) or the actual act of giving (which I am not).

My suggestion is to leave the autopayment in place but to constantly look for other worthy organizations to add to your autopayment list.

I’m afraid that’s not possible. We are already giving the maximum we can afford. I cannot leave this organization on auto payment AND add other organizations — and I don’t want to lessen my contributions to the organization I am giving to.

Why not take a few minutes of your time when those receipts come back and give some thought to those particular organizations and what they are doing and what the people they are helping and you are helping need, and why you should continue helping them.

I have no need to do that. I am 100% convinced that the organization I give to is worthy and does good within the community. I don’t need to give it any additional thought.

The Wolf