One of the most significant Western revolutions of the past hundred years was the creation of the welfare state. The modern welfare state, as exemplified in Scandinavia, sees itself as having sole responsibility for the well being of its underprivileged citizens. The state attempts to solve the problems of the underprivileged by pouring huge amounts of money into the bureaucratic system it develops to distribute the funds.

Israel, founded on Western ideology, has followed suit. Since its foundation, the state of Israel has spent vast sums of money on welfare for the underprivileged. The problems, though, have only been exacerbated.

The Problem with the Welfare State

The main problem with welfare is not lack of funds, but rather that the funds are wasted on its administrating bureaucracy. Most of the funds never reach the underprivileged.

Second, government welfare offers the person in need a check and not personal care. In many cases, the person requesting welfare does not actually need money, but is rather in dire need of human warmth, attention and guidance. The money is useful as a crutch, but in many cases, it is not the solution. On the other hand, the personal attention so desperately lacking is usually provided by volunteers and not by the welfare mechanism.

Responsibility for Fellow-Jews

A volunteer mechanism is which the person in need is not just a computer printout must be community based. The community in which the person in need lives -- and not the government -- is the only body that can relate to him on a personal level and with responsibility.

By assuming overall responsibility for the underprivileged, the welfare state allows the individual to absolve himself of responsibility to care for the needy in his own surroundings. This results in estrangement and disassociation within the community. The individual feels that his neighbor’s problem has nothing to do with him -- the government will solve it. He can go on living his life in isolation of those surrounding him and not give another thought to helping others.

Western society -- self-centered, materialistic and hedonistic -- cannot offer a better solution to the problems of the underprivileged. But Judaism can.

The Jewish, belief-based solution for the underprivileged is based on different foundations. The community -- and not the government -- volunteerism, personal responsibility, personal attention, sensitivity and mutual help are much more effective in solving the problems of the needy. According to this model, the government provides the backbone for the community based assistance, but does not replace it. The Orthodox community exemplifies many fine examples of an alternative social system that is based on Jewish values and that works.

Belief based leadership can use the currently existing models as a basis for implementation of these principles nation-wide.