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News: October 2007

Rabbi’s Column:
Living on $21 for a week

As we might have first learned from our grandmothers, who insisted we eat that extra piece of matzah ball or mandel bread, Jews have long held that there is no reason that people should have to go hungry.
     The origins of this belief stem from the Torah which outlines a system to provide food for those most in need. In Leviticus we read “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and stranger; I am the Eternal your G-d” (Leviticus 19:9-10).   Similarly, Deuteronomy 24:19 commands, “When you cut down your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the orphan, and for the widow; that the Eternal your G-d may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
   These two commandments, known as peah and leket, are expounded and expanded upon throughout rabbinic literature.   Though over time many Jews left agriculture for other professions, the values that underscore the commands for peah and leket were not forgotten. Jews created communal systems, like that described in tractate Baba Batra of the Talmud, which provided for the distribution of food to the needy.
   Today we have many wonderful communal organizations, both within and outside the Jewish community, dedicated to providing food to the needy. But of course the primary instrument for ending hunger in the United States is the federal government.
   In the month and a half between the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot, and the American harvest festival of Thanksgiving, Congress will be debating and voting upon the reauthorization of the farm bill. While the name of the bill may draw to mind images of rolling fields of corn, red barns, and giant silos, the farm bill’s reach extends well beyond the agriculture sector.
        One important area covered by the farm bill is the food stamp program. At present the average food stamp benefit is only $1 per person per meal, with some individuals receiving as little as $10 a month in assistance, a minimum benefit amount that has not increased since the 1970s. With such low amounts, it is not surprising that a Bread for the World study found that most food stamp households spend 80% of their benefits by the middle of each month, which means parents often have to skip meals so their children will have enough.
    The average benefit of $21 per week is insufficient for seniors and families the overwhelming majority of food stamp recipients – to eat a healthy diet. By attempting to eat for a week on this amount, myself and other leaders in the Jewish community, both locally and around the country, will experience the impossible choices faced by millions of American families who are often forced to decide between having enough to eat and having something healthy to eat.
   We hope that our efforts will draw attention to the challenges facing America’s poor and that Congress, which the Jewish Council for Public Affairs was invited to participate in the food stamp challenge, will recognize the need to increase the amount of support needy families receive in food stamps.
    Masechet Peah begins with the assertion that there is no specified amount of produce one must leave in the corners of their field. But as the Mishnah continues, we are given guidance for fulfilling this mitzvah. Amongst the factors we are told to consider is how much support is truly needed.
    As American Jews celebrate this season of plenty with Sukkot and Thanksgiving, may we and our government come to understand how much is truly needed to end hunger in America, and may we, like our ancient ancestors, commit ourselves to providing that support. Y

L’shalom,
Rabbi Joel Fleekop

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