INC. Interoffice Memorandum From:C.W. June 2, 1917 To: J.A. PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL I hope you’ll forgive my Christian temerity, Jake, in attempting to explain matters pertaining to your religion, but the twelfth-century Jewish philosopher, Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides) had a good deal to say on the subject of Charity, and as he outlined it there are eight degrees, each successive degree more worthy than the last. These are: To give (1) but sadly; (2) too little, but with good humor; (3) only after being asked; (4) before being asked; (5) so that the donor does not know who the recipient is; (6) so that the recipient does not know who the donor is; (7) so that neither donor nor recipient knows the other’s identity; (8) help to the unfortunate not in the form of a gift but rather a loan or a job or whatever means are necessary for him to help himself and so maintain his self-respect. In your new career as a philanthropist, Jake, I’m suggesting that you keep your eye on number 8.
