Chapters 4-5 of The Guide to Serving God begin to discuss specific character traits associated with the way of Torah. The first is compassion. This is crucial because God himself is compassionate (Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 4:31; Jonah 4:2, etc.). Being compassionate is one of the benefits of observing the mitzvot (Moreh Nevuchim 3:39). Avraham notes that the Torah encourages this trait too, providing many opportunities for cultivating it. God forbids callousness (Deuteronomy 15:7). However, being compassionate does not imply that one should be completely softhearted, “your temperament should be inclined away from callousness toward compassion and sensitivity. Thereby, you will be kind to one who deserves compassion, helping one in distress, saving the oppressed from oppressors, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and the like” (p. 41). Avraham then begins to unpack the situations where compassion is required and where harshness would be required. There are numerous examples where the Torah requires harshness (Exodus 21:14; Deuteronomy 19:11-13; 25:12, etc.). When in doubt, one should err on the side of caution and show kindness (Bava Batra 9a). The Rambam also makes a similar point in Moreh Nevuchim 1:54.
Generosity flows from compassion and means the “bestowal of good upon one who has no claim or entitlement to it” (p. 51, c.f. Moreh HaNevuchim 3:53). Certain things, such as paying fair wages, are often seen as generosity but are actually justice and fairness. Examples of generosity include giving to charity, bringing guests into one’s home and bestowing gifts are all acts of generosity. Generosity is one of the chief goals of the Torah. The acts of God in the Torah are generous (see Moreh HaNevuchim 1:54), which should encourage us to be generous to our fellow human beings.
Generosity must be contrasted with extravagance, the former is the proper opposite of stinginess and the latter is the improper opposite of prudence. The extravagant one lavishes himself with gifts. Generosity involves others and giving abundantly to share with others.
However, money should not be spent indiscriminately. Generosity is the sharing of gifts with the poor and needy. Avraham Maimonides notes that God gives differently to different kinds of animals and humans. To be truly generous, one cannot hoard money to oneself or to pass on to one’s heirs. One should not spend on luxuries for himself or his family but buy what is essential and share with others (Deut. 26:11; Is. 58:7-9).
One should be generous with one’s money but also with influence, wisdom, and in acts of religion. Using one’s influence to be generous entails using one’s position to help the needy. One can share wisdom through teaching it to those who desire it. This is what the Sages have done with Torah. One can be generous in religion by helping bring people back to the proper path of religion.
The mitzvot help us practice generosity such as through the rights of the poor, the corner of the field, forgotten produce, the tithing system, charity loans, gifts for priests and levites, the commandment to be generous to levites and converts, giving gifts to a Jewish indentured servant upon his release and the shemitta year on produce and loans and the Jubilee laws are all examples of mitzvot that help one be generous. The Torah calls one who is stingy a heretic (Deut. 13:14) meaning that generosity is of primary importance for the religious life of Jews.
A Jewish View 