THE SECRET OF CHARITY

      Give a man a fish and he will eat for one day.

      Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.

      attributed to Maimonides

      When we think about giving charity, the images that come to mind are often simple and straightforward: dropping coins into a red iron kettle on a winter day while a bell sounds in the background, phoning in a donation that qualifies for the gift of a tote bag, or buying an extra can of tuna fish or jar of peanut butter at the grocery store during a food drive. In other words, we more often think of “giving a man a fish,” or helping someone solve an immediate problem, than “teaching a man to fish,” or changing someone’s long-term reality for the better. The idea that helping a person develop the skills and experience that will lead to employment and self-reliance is ideal is not a new one. In fact, this wisdom has been adopted by numerous cultures throughout the world for centuries.

      The old adage, quoted above, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for one day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” is universally appealing. While the source of this wisdom is ultimately unknown, it has been attributed to Chinese, Italian, and Native American traditions and to such famous thinkers as Lao-Tzu and Maimonides. Wherever it comes from, what it teaches us is a major component of what I call the Secret of Charity.

      The Eight Levels of Charity

      Maimonides discussed charity at length, describing it as the ultimate sign of a righteous person and one of the most important acts of humanity. Assuming that everyone is obligated to give charity according to his or her means, and that we are also obligated to do everything in our power to avoid being in need ourselves, he described Eight Levels of Giving to help us develop our charitable tendencies. At the lowest levels, the giver spends less than what he or she can reasonably afford and does so begrudgingly. In these situations, both the giver and the recipient see each other, and there is no attempt at anonymity. In every subsequent level, the attitude of the giver becomes more genuine, and the distance between specific donors and recipients becomes greater, so that one is not burdened with pride, and the other is free of the guilt or shame that might accompany recognition.

      The highest, most ideal level of giving is the one in which your charity enables someone to ultimately become self-supporting. Teaching a person to “fish”—giving someone the knowledge he or she needs to hold a job and function in society—is the greatest kindness one person can bestow on another. As Maimonides taught, we can “anticipate charity by preventing poverty.”

      Imagine what might happen to you if you were truly struggling financially. In times of uncertainty, we often find our thoughts quickly spiraling from one seemingly small problem to huge, overarching crises. While staring at a notice about a late car payment, you may begin to worry about the chain of events that might soon unfold. If you are unable to make your car payment, you might just lose the car. If you lose your car, how will you get to work? If you can’t get to work, you will lose your job. If you lose your job, you might not be able to pay your rent. And so forth. Before long, you are worried about everything, and you begin to panic. In that moment, you don’t just want a way to pay one month’s worth of a car loan. You want a way to shore up your whole situation. Ideally, you want to render the worst-case scenario impossible to begin with.

      When we put ourselves in the position to help others, the best thing we can do is to anticipate the “worst-case scenario” and try to prevent it from coming to fruition. While giving people the means to help solve their immediate problems is always appreciated, helping them get to a state in which they no longer face those problems is even better. When we try to stand in the shoes of someone who is struggling, forward-looking and preventative help is what we would want most for ourselves.

      One person who has certainly reached the highest levels of charitable giving is Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire who started out a poor girl in the rural South, a victim of emotional and physical abuse. She worked her way up to become one of the most successful and well-loved people in recent history. Oprah is famous for her generosity. She has donated literally millions of dollars to a variety of worthy causes. Of the many amazing acts of giving she has performed, perhaps the most admirable are the schools she has established and funded for underprivileged children in African communities where none previously existed. She has helped countless girls reach their life goals by providing merit-based scholarships—grants given to students who have proved their academic prowess alongside their financial need.

      Oprah’s scholarships are not just tangible gifts. They recognize the hard work and effort of the recipients and help to ease the burdens of young women who would otherwise have to work several jobs while trying to focus on their studies. With the strain of paying for school lifted, recipients of Oprah’s scholarships can direct more of their energy to learning and developing their chosen professions. Rather than just feeding them fish for a day, Oprah has enabled these children to find their own fish, a gift that will last a lifetime. These students have been given the gift of education, and with it the chance to improve their lives and the lives of those in their family and community.

      The Anonymous Gift

      When