By Daniel Kieval The "season of giving," for better and for worse, is upon us. The bestowing of gifts upon friends and family for Hanukkah and Christmas pervades the current month, and soon non-profit organizations will begin drives for end-of-the-year donations. It is good that we remember to be generous not only toward those we know and care about but also–or especially–toward those whose very survival may depend on our gifts and the goods and services they fund. Tzedakah, often translated as "charity" but literally meaning "justice," has always been part of Jewish tradition. Its origin, though, lies not in the donation of money, which is most common and practical today, but in something more primal and immediate: food. In ancient society, when most people were farmers and marketplaces were not open 24 hours on every block,...

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