this will be a detailed one, but hopefully worthwhile, when you have a moment to read.
On, 11/2/14, we had a long discussion on Tzedakah on both sides of the Mitzvah Day project with the Illini Hunger Project today (http://www.illinifightinghunger.org/), where we had quite an assembly line filling up rice in bags, weighing, sealing, and packing. A great time was had by all. This was a wonderful hands on project, where something like 350 pounds of rice was filled up in 1 pound bags for local food pantries, at the Eastern Illinois Foodbank and the Wesley Foundation Food Pantry. We went earlier, and stayed a little longer to help finish up. We'll get to some of our agenda more next week, with more on our maps and discussion of Mitzvah, as a Jewish concept.
Meanwhile, we discussed all kinds of aspects of giving as the kids jumped right into the idea of giving for the right reasons. Ethan felt this was key, in that giving for the wrong reasons, wasn't right. David brought up Machiavelli, in terms of the ends justifying the means. Not that he bought it, just part of the discussion. To which I brought up the old line of "by any means necessary", used during the Black power movement of the 60's. Audrey discussed the idea of balance within ourselves when giving, as the idea was not to give away all we have, but to give where appropriate and when we can. Aaron brought up the idea of not so much the right intention, or giving for the right reasons, but HOW we give, the way in which we give. Ryan felt that it was right to give, when we could to those in need, and that we knew inherently what was right.
Zach took a poll to ask if the following scenario was the same or different, in the spirit of intention and outcome, in giving: His sister, he said, was told to move away from his project, with a drink, which eventually was spilled on his project, and then, his dog also chewed it up. The class was divided along the lines of complexity as if a sibling was asked to move away, and an accident occurred, was that any different than a dog, who didn't know, also having an effect on something? Zach felt it was really all the same in the end, due to the outcome, in that neither his sibling nor the dog meant to harm his project. I brought up the idea that if the outcome is the same, yet the tendency is to blame, or at ascribe a different response, perhaps we might say, well, if it was intentional, we have one way to address the situation for better or more responsive behavior, and if an accident, we can take another tack. Ultimately, the goal is the same, by different roads, based upon a similar outcome, as matter of paying attention, corrective action. Somehow, we related to the idea of giving with intention and the right reason.
Back to the idea of the ends justifying the means. Someone asked would you kill Hitler if you could? Some said yes, others not sure. Audrey noted yes, he killed many, but was it right to kill as well? We brought up mathematical formulas and manipulation and calculation, as a mechanical approach to achieving an objective. Isaac brought up the example that if he wanted to travel by plane, car, or train, what difference does it make, as long as he gets there. But, he acknowledged, as did the class, that there are exceptions, when we inject ethics and morals, in terms of "doing right" by others and in the world. Again, giving for the right reasons, giving to make ourselves feel better, or making ourselves better in general. There are always exceptions and complexities, but overall, we all agreed, it's good and right to give in ways you can, when you can, but to also take care of yourself.
We also talked about the concepts of helping others to become self-reliant as the highest form of giving, but that we must still address other needs at the same time. For example, getting someone a job to sustain themselves, while also providing food if hungry. We discussed other needs that people have in our community: disease, war, water issues, the environment, safe homes for kids, kids who can't focus, who have learning challenges, or are hungry, or who don't get encouragement, or good grades, or doors opened to them. We talked about the idea of playing it where it lies, a term in golf, and made an analogy in life. As Ryan shared, to go from where we are. I added, even if and when doors are seemingly closed, that we go from we are. Ethan thought the idea was to open doors again. Great discussion! Bright kids! Very chatty after the project, but we did what we could do!
I asked what do you all do to contribute? Helping with homework for a friend or sibling came up. Being polite, or smiling. With or without being paid for it, came up. Actually doing something volunteer wise for others was not a common experience yet at this age, but they all understood that there were many ways to give to others, family, friends, and those in need. And they would all do something like this Illini Hunger Project again.
I wanted to also share something else Issac brought up. He said that he goes to Urbana Middle School early to tutor other kids. Fantastic! Additionally, he said that he loves eating at lunch with his friends and kids he knows, but that he makes an effort to sit as well with either those he doesn't know, or others who have no one to sit with, or who might be shy. Asking if he felt this was a choice or an obligation, he said he felt an obligation to reach out, simply because he saw the need, even the loneliness. Wow. What a courageous, generous, and beautiful thing!
Here were our guiding questions from today:
- Why do we give?
- Why do we contribute to community?
- Why do we contribute to those in need?
- What does this do for others?
- What does this do for ourselves?
- What have you contributed?
- How does this make you feel?
- What if nobody cared?
- What if nobody gave?
- Do you feel an obligation to help?
- Is giving and helping a choice?
- What do you choose?
- Giving begrudgingly
- Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully
- Giving after being asked
- Giving before being asked
- Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity
- Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity
- Giving when neither party knows the other's identity
- Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant
http://www.hadassah.org/site/
The Mitvah Day Project Recap
- What did you think of the project?
- Would you participate in something like this again?
- What other problems are there besides hunger/food insecurity in the world?
- What about right here in our own community?
More to come next week!--Mick
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