------------------------------

Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 19:24:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Respecting Boundaries

John Furman asks about our obligation to help suffering in Kosovo.

This is explicitly answered in halachah and is based on the explicit verse
Dt 15:7. This verse creates PRIORTIES of need and is brought down by the
Rambam, Shulchan Aruch and eg Ahavath Chesed: The priorty laws are (a)
first help the poor of your own family, then (b) the poor of your city,
then © the poor of your land, then (d) the Jewish poor and finally (e)
non jewish poor.

So..if you have disabled or elderly relatives help them first. If you don't
and have eg given to local charities and to Israel (and have more charity
money) then you can give to Kosovo. But the obligation to help Israel takes
precedence over Kosovo.

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; RJHendel@Juno.Com
Moderator Rashi Is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/