coffeeroomlover,
first of all, if u can afford to smoke, then you can not have the chutzpah to go round collecting.
second, when the come round while smoking, they have a very negative attitude.
I disagree with these conclusions.
First of all – just because someone is smoking does not mean they can afford cigarettes on top of food and other needs. It’s natural that among the poor there will be a large fraction who do not handle their finances well or exhibit good future planning abilities – they make unwise purchases and then do not have enough left for necessities. That’s partly why they’re poor. Surely Hashem was aware of this yet still commanded us to help all of the poor among our people, not just the ones who budget smartly.
Second of all – it’s natural that among the poor there will be a larger number of people who lack proper social skills – these issues may be holding them back from employment, etc. That’s partly why they’re poor. Surely Hashem was aware of this yet still commanded us to help all of the poor among our people, not just the socially astute.