Listing the Names of Contributors

There is frequent discussion in charity drives whether the name of the donor of a gift should be mentioned and recorded in some permanent form. (From Mr. Alfred Bachrach, New York City)

This question of recording the name of the donor of a gift for charity has been widely debated in recent years. Those who favor the practice say that a man is entitled to the pride that comes to him when it becomes known that he has been generous in a good cause. Also, mentioning the name of one donor encourages other donors to equal or to surpass his gift. Those who oppose the practice say that if a man gives only a small amount to a certain cause this is primarily his own affair and he should not be embarrassed by having the small amount permanently recorded. Because these opposite arguments each have weight, the practice as to permanently recording names varies from community to community.

Is there a preference in this matter to be found in Jewish legal tradition? It is obvious at the outset that a direct opinion can hardly be found in the tradition, because the present method of conducting drives is only a modern development. In earlier times they did not use our present method of audible auction to raise money for charity, though in one way there was something like it. For centuries the traditional synagogue was maintained by especially generous gifts, given on the various holidays. These gifts were for the purpose of securing the privilege of being called to the Torah, or participating in one way or another with the Torah ritual. The amount of the gift was actually determined by competitive bidding in the service itself, and the names of the donors, the successful ones and those who were outbidden, were all, of course, announced aloud in the synagogue. As far as I know, the names of these donors were not permanently recorded, but certainly they were publicly announced.

As for more permanent acknowledgment of gifts, we do have traditional opinions which are not only mentioned by various authors, but are recorded as actual law in the Codes. As we said, the raising of money in our present form for charity did not—could not—record itself in the literature, but what did record itself is close enough to our present charitable drives to be quite relevant to the ques tion. Owing to the endless persecutions and expulsions, the central communal need was the rebuilding and refurnishing of the synagogues. With regard to that constant communal task there is the following discussion:

If a man gives a Menorah, a Torah cover, or other gift to the synagogue, should he have his name recorded on it or not? The classic discussion of this question goes back to the thirteenth century, to Rabbi Solomon ben Aderet in Barcelona, Spain, the greatest Spanish authority of the time. He says that there are both Biblical and Talmudic precedents for recording the names of the donors. The Torah itself mentions the names of the benefactors in connection with their good deeds. Thus, Reuben is mentioned for his deliverance of his brother Joseph; and Boaz, in Bethlehem, is likewise mentioned. As for the Talmud, says Solomon ben Aderet, there is in Baba Bathra 133 b a clear record on the gifts to the Temple of Yose ben Yoezer and his son for their separate gifts. So, concludes the Spanish authority (this is in his Responsa, 582), it is proper to record the names of those who give gifts to the sanctuary, that they may have due memorial for their good deed, and also to open the door wide for other givers.

This opinion of Solomon ben Aderet is repeated by many later authorities, as for example, Mendel of Nichols burg, in the eighteenth century (“Zemach Zedek” 52), and others. Finally, this is recorded in a rather remarkable way in the Shulchan Aruch, the official law code, Yore Deah 249 : 13, especially in the note of Moses Isserles (Kracow, sixteenth century). He says: “While it is a sin to boast of one’s good deeds, nevertheless, it is proper to record the name of a donor on his gift, first, in order that this public record may prevent the gift’s being misapplied to another purpose unintended by the giver, and, second, that it should be a memorial for him.”

From all of the above we can come to a clear conclusion as to the spirit of Jewish tradition on the matter of recording the names of donors. If the purpose of announcing and recording the gift is merely boastful vanity, then to record the name is actually a sin (as Isserles said); but if it is for the purpose of safeguarding the gift, that it should not be misused for purposes unintended by the donor, or certainly, if for the more important purpose of encouraging other givers, then we should record the names, following the opinion of the great Spanish authority, Solomon ben Aderet, and thus, as he said, “open the door to other doers of good deeds.”