Human nature is to desire to be self-sufficient. Most of us are uncomfortable being takers and prefer earning our own keep. If, due to dire circumstances, we find ourselves on the receiving end, our reaction is generally one of mortification. The Torah is acutely sensitive to the precarious dynamic between patrons and their beneficiaries. The Torah’s word for the act of giving to the needy, tzedakah, although commonly translated as “charity,” more accurately means “justice.”