1. Most of this Bible portion deals with the responsibility of a family, or even of a community, to help its members who have fallen upon hard hard times and restore them to a respectable financial position. Some even argue that the laws of Shemitta, the Sabbatical year, and Yovel, the Jubilee, were designed to break the cycles of poverty. What responsibility does a society, or an individual, have to provide financial support for members of society who have no interest in becoming self-sufficient?

  2. Providing support for needy relatives or community members carries a danger of changing the nature of relationships. Should families receiving tuition assistance be treated any differently than other member of a school community? Should they be expected volunteer their time to help the school? Many in the medical community insist that the identity of the organ or bone marrow donors be kept anonymous, so as to avoid situations in which the recipient will feel a sense of debt to the donor. That practice, however, prevents the recipient from expressing proper gratitude and may provide disincentive for potential donors. Can a balance be established?

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