Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If there is with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wants.”
This passage is part of Moses's address to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land, likely in the 7th century BCE or earlier. It sets out laws for community life, emphasizing justice, care for the vulnerable, and the practice of generosity within the covenant people.
What systems or habits, personal or communal, might encourage or hinder this kind of open-handedness today?