Chapter 8
Hear my words, O man, and consider the justice of your Creator.
These are my exhibits, which I place before you, so that you shall not err:
And if you are a rich man, and adorn a city by donating a park, with statues and pleasure- walks, hoping by that to glorify yourself and be praised by men—in this, your self buries you in the first resurrection. And the act lowers your grade instead of raising it.
For in whatever you give, you shall consider, first, the lowest of the low, whether they have bread to eat, and a place to sleep; and the sick, whether they have attendance and good provision.
And if you are a rich man, and contribute a house for orphans or for the helpless and aged who cannot help themselves, it raises you in grade.
But to the extent that you do this for the applause of men, you detract from the rate of your beneficence.
Nor does such a good work help you any more than the poor man helps his own grade by assisting one poor orphan.
For your resurrection does not depend on the quantity you give, but as to whether you give according to what you have. Of which matter you shall judge yourself.
For he who gives a penny may be raised up more by doing so, than he that gives ten times ten thousand.
A certain rich man, being converted from the desires of earth, went about casting his money freely in the streets, and in giving to all those who asked him for some.
And some gathered it up, and fed and clothed themselves; others took it and went and got drunk, and became worse than before.
The measure of righteousness of that man’s behavior was not in giving what he had to the poor, but in the good and evil that came of it, being weighed, as to which outbalanced the other.
And where he lowered the grade of those who received this money, or where he lowered a greater number than he raised, there his act of casting the money away was a judgment against him.
He who gives, saying: Here, you beggar! || does a good corporeal act, but an evil spiritual act. He lifts up with one hand, but knocks down with the other (i.e., injures with his tongue). Such an act detracts from the grade of that man.
A certain rich man, being converted to do good works, went and built a score of soup-houses to feed the poor gratuitously.
And all the poor people of that town went to them and were fed. But the next year, behold, there were twice as many poor. And the rich man built another score of soup-houses, and they were all fed.
But the next year, there were still twice as many poor people to feed; but the rich man had exhausted his means, and could feed none at all.
Judgment is therefore rendered against that man for his supposed beneficence.
For, while he did a little corporeal good, he did a great spiritual wrong, because he lowered the grade of manhood and womanhood in those whom he fed. His benevolence promoted dependence.
A rich man founded a place of labor for the poor, who had nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. And he said to them:
The Creator has given you hands to work with; come, be men and women.
And they went and worked and earned their living.
Judgment is rendered in favor of that man, for he raised the spiritual grade of the poor. This is a beneficence that extends into heaven.
Let your charity be to the sick and helpless, but be wise in directing the able-bodied to help themselves.
For all charity tends to lower the self- respect of the receiver, and casts him lower in the grades in heaven.
Certain ones depend on alms, not having either sickness or strong bodies. Nevertheless if they were aroused, they could support themselves.
When you give to them regularly, they depend on you. These become beggars in the lowest grades in heaven.
That which you give them accounts against your own grade. It is better for you and for them, if you arouse them from their degradation.
To do this tenderly and mercifully, is a great virtue; to do it cruelly, is a great crime.
Do not consider so much what you can do to raise your own grade, but what you can do to raise the grade of those within your reach.
Remember, all men and women are your brothers and sisters, and you shall labor to make them make themselves a glory to the Creator.