Donation has many faces: it can be an actual act, a monetary donation, a donation of food, a donation of objects and property, and other diverse forms. The commandment to donate already appears in the book of Genesis, a very early stage in the history of Judaism, and is practiced to this day as a condition for the preparation of food. So what actually stands behind the commandment to donate and what is tithing? About that, and also a little about the blessed desire of Israelis to contribute and help others, in the next article.
Donation has many faces: it can be an actual act, a monetary donation, a donation of food, a donation of objects and property, and other diverse forms. The commandment to donate already appears in the book of Genesis, a very early stage in the history of Judaism, and is practiced to this day as a condition for the preparation of food. So what actually stands behind the commandment to donate and what is tithing? About that, and also a little about the blessed desire of Israelis to contribute and help others, in the next article.
Donations and tithes – a historical view
Donations and tithes are part of a mitzvah already recorded in the Book of Genesis, according to which a part of the crops and crops must be set aside for priests, borrowers and the poor – mainly vegetables and fruits, drinks of various kinds, legumes, and more.
It is important to note that there is a difference between a contribution and a tithe: according to the Jewish tradition, the contribution is actually a larger portion that is mainly intended for the priests. The tithe is a smaller contribution intended for the bereaved.
Even today, donations and tithes are set aside before marketing the food, except in the case of certain vegetables or fruits. These contributions and tithes are required in the field of food in order to receive kosher status.
How much should be donated?
The contribution to the priest, which is the largest contribution, should be set aside according to the donor’s wishes, but of course the full amount of the crop should not be donated. The minimum donation should be at least 2% of the amount. After that, 10% of the remaining amount must be set aside for the borrowers. These ten percent are valid for each subtype of tithing, when there is a first tithe and a second tithe, and for each one 10% must be set aside. For the poor, the mitzvah does not require donating every time, but only twice during the 6 years of shemita.
Donations today: a social-Israeli demonstration that is all about giving
Beyond the donations anchored in Jewish mitzvot, the culture in Israel encourages giving, giving to others and helping without return. Many Israelis are interested in giving of themselves, their possessions, their money and their time to others, without wanting to receive anything in return, and this can be expressed in many ways. It can be said that the need to donate is part of the roots, but in the modern age it takes many and varied forms. One of the forms that Israelis have adopted for themselves is the associations, which they establish to fulfill a purpose that will serve the entire population, help people in need and give them tools when they need them most. Israelis donate to these associations to help fulfill the sacred purpose to which the association is dedicated, and thus a complete circle of giving and action is created, through people who are interested in helping to advance the cause and also associations that provide solutions where no one else can.
Our way of helping the community
We at JGive celebrate the supreme value of giving to others. We are a non-profit association that presents donors and associations with an orderly, organized, friendly and most importantly legal platform, which allows donors to donate, and associations to receive. Our website allows donations to hundreds of associations, and every association that enters our site is an association that meets all the laws and requirements in Israel, is recognized by the tax authorities and is conducted in a proper and legal manner. If you are asking yourself why it pays for you to donate through JGive, we can say that through us you will receive full transparency, full documentation and easy access to receipts for the donation at any time.
Contributions and tithes in the modern era
Today it is possible to set aside donations and tithes online, through a quick online donation on the JGive website. The advantage of using the JGive website is that the total amount goes directly to the donation target, and the website does not issue a commission or coupon for its use. The full amount goes to the donation target, in favor of the cause you want to serve, in a transparent, legal and orderly manner.
In addition to this, we enable the receipt of tax refunds on the donation, according to what is possible within the framework of Law 46(a) of the Income Tax Ordinance, and save you the bureaucracy involved in this because it can be done directly from our website. This can be done in a few quick clicks, without troubling the income tax offices and without the need to engage an accountant or any other professional. It is important to note that these operations are coordinated with the income tax and all the operations carried out are legal and regulated by law.
Basically, using our website allows you to set aside donations and tithes in a way that matches the modern age, from your mobile phone or home computer, without leaving home, and choose the cause for which you wish to donate. Our goal is to enable everyone to follow the important mitzvah conveniently and digitally, while the donor enjoys all the benefits of using the JGive website, and the targets for the donation also benefit from the fact that the option to donate for them is available to anyone who is interested in it.
So how can you actually donate through the JGive website?
On our website you can donate to various associations or bodies easily and quickly through the website. You can select the donation destination by searching for it in the search field, or by entering the “To whom to donate” tab in the top menu of the page. After selecting the donation destination, you will reach its page – where you will find details about its activities, what its purpose is and what the donation money will be used for. You can select the “Donate” option, where a window will open to select the desired amount. You can define whether it is a one-time amount or a standing order for a permanent donation. We also allow a donation through the Bit app, so this is also a payment option that is convenient for many of the donors.
Summary
Donations and tithes are an inseparable part of the history of the Jewish people, and of the currently accepted regulation for granting kosher status to crops and crops. The contribution is also evident in other places in Israeli society, and the goal is to give to others, to those who do not have and need it, to those in need or to those who promote goals that will serve the entire population and slowly improve the world in which we live. We at JGive are interested in being part of the Israelis’ desire to do good to others, and enable donors to donate safely, and non-profit organizations to receive donations in an orderly manner and without delays. We invite you to donate through our website to the association you want to donate to, and help it fulfill its goal.