The Eight Degrees of Charity

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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I recently stumbled upon an interesting list, published just barely before recent events, and I post it here in the belief that others will find it as interesting as I did.

The list was entitled “The Eight Degrees of Charity” and is attributed to the Jewish philosopher Moses Ben Maimonides (1135-1204). The list is ranked from lower to higher levels, 1 to 10.

  1. He who gives grudgingly, reluctantly, or with regret.
  2. He who gives less than he should, but gives graciously.
  3. He who gives what he should, but only after he is asked.
  4. He who gives before he is asked.
  5. He who gives without knowing to whom he gives, although the recipient knows the identity of the donor.
  6. He who gives without making his identity known.
  7. He who gives without knowing to whom he gives, neither does the recipient know from whom he receives.
  8. He who helps a fellow man to support himself by a gift, or a loan, or by finding employment for him, thus helping him to become self-supporting.
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Oops, that’s 1 to 8, of course. Darn it, I even previewed!