“A tenth for charity!” a man named Moshe exclaims in a movie we saw recently.

He and his wife, Hasidic Jews in Jerusalem, are unemployed and in dire straits. But suddenly, there’s a knock on the door, and they learn they are the recipients of a $1,000 gift from their synagogue. Just moments after experiencing the relief, Moshe grabs $100 from the envelope, runs into the street, and gives it to a neighbor who is also unemployed and in need. Moshe’s joy is irrepressible. (This moment comes at 3:30 in this clip, if you want to enjoy the scene).  

“A tenth for charity!”

In this season of Thanksgiving, followed closely by Advent and Christmas, we naturally turn to our family and friends with a spirit of generosity, of giving gifts. And let’s face it: it’s very easy to limit our focus to our dear, loved ones, and find little to nothing leftover for charity.

That’s why the scene with Moshe and his wife Michal—rooted in the biblical mandate to give—is so timely for us to consider. They joyfully give a tenth from their newly-received gift. The Lord receives their first-fruits—not their leftovers.

In the Trinity House Community ministry, we have been humbled to be the recipients of the first-fruits of others. One supporter sent us a check recently, along with a note in which he explained that, on the anniversary of his mother’s passing, a stock he owned unexpectedly jumped 28%. That same day, he cut checks to several charities with the proceeds. “Thank you for answering the call to do God’s work in the community,” he wrote. Like Moshe, he gave quickly and with joy, and moved on. As parents, we are trying to model this to our children.

As we’ve reflected on the joy that comes with generosity, we see two important truths emerge. One, like Moshe, our first thoughts need to gravitate toward the less fortunate. Right away…as quickly as possible, we need to allow the freedom of this generous way of life to spill over. It’s like love, really. We can’t hoard it. We need to give our love freely.

Secondly, we need to carefully plan for generosity. In the third week of each month, we focus on Level 3 of a Trinity House, Household Economy. The core of this level is shared work as a family—the many ways we roll up the sleeves together—but it’s also based on a strong family budget and finances. This time of year, it’s important to recall that the goal of a solid Household Economy is not simply our own security; we need to plan to be able to help others.

In our own experience, we’ve learned that the Moshe-style spontaneous giving and the careful budgeting don’t happen by accident. We desperately need the cornerstone of Level 3, our weekly Life Meeting together as spouses, during which we seek to plan out the upcoming week’s shared work, schedules, budget, and more. The plodding focus of this meeting may seem to contrast with the joyful spontaneity of Moshe and Michal’s rush to give—but it is arguably more fundamental. Perhaps these are like the two sides of a coin: one is swift to give, the other is slower and more intentional. We need both. 

As we enter into this season of generosity, let’s enjoy the gifts God has given us as we share them with our family and loved ones. And yes, let’s also run with haste—and plan with care—so that we can share God’s blessings with others!