A fellow and his handler (I'll explain) came to our minyan this morning.
The man is blind (ergo the "handler") and claims to be dying.
I don't doubt the veracity of his story, and as it happens we often pass each other on the way to our respective congregations on Shabat morning.
We gave what we could, maybe a little more than usual given the approaching Yomai Noryim, and I hope it will help a little.
His medical bills, he said, are tremendous and have taken everything he had.
I can believe that, too.
But this afternoon I started thinking.
The man said he had no insurance.
What about federal Medicare.
What about state Medicaid.
What about Social Security - after all the gentleman is unable to work between his handicaps and his trips to the medics.
What about Welfare? Granted he's a white male and usually the only thing white males get from a Welfare office is an insult. But he has numerous handicaps that should make him eligible for assistance.
This man said he has been making the rounds of the rabbis and congregations.
It seems to me that someone should have asked if he had looked into the assistance programs to which he is entitled.
I am not suggesting that we close our wallets to him or others like him.
I am suggesting that someone - his rabbi should be first in line - to advise him of the benefits that are his due and help him acquire those benefits.
We - Jews - tend to open our wallets without giving too much thought to who we are trying to help. We are ready with a dollar - or 20 - but we don't think to ask the person if they know about other benefits.
This man is exhausting all the Jewish resources he can identify and that's fine.
But he is a U.S. citizen and he should be seeking the benefits to which he is entitled from the federal and state governments.
It seems to me that helping a person get on-going benefits to which the person is entitled is akin to helping a person find a job, to become independent, at least from the charity of the Jewish community.
Having Medicare and Medicaid pay for most of the medical bills that run into the thousands makes a lot more sense to me that going from minyan to minyan collecting maybe $100, $200 one time. Having an income from Social Security, not matter how small, is at least a dependable income (at least for the time being).
Give money.
Give advice.
Give assistance.
It just seems reasonable.
