Things that beggars know: what is the role of a beggar?

Korbus volunteers questions about beggars: Is it legal to sit on the street and collect beggars in Israel? Or maybe there is a law that prevents doing it freely?

Section 216 of the Penal Code dealing with improper behavior in a public place regulates the rules of the game for the begging industry.
Here is the law:

"Whoever does one of these, is sentenced to six months in prison:
1. Behaves in a wild or obscene manner in a public place;
2. Causes a minor under the age of sixteen to beg or collect alms in a public place, or induces or motivates such a minor to do so;
3. Walks around as a beggar or as a beggar, or tries to get donations of any kind, all under false or fraudulent pretenses"

Another section states that

"He who spreads his hand, or collects alms, in a public place by exposing wounds or deformities or by harassment, his punishment is - one month's imprisonment"

The seemingly strange law, it allows begging in principle but grants the right to raise a hand as a birthday gift to 16 year olds and does not allow disclosing defects for sales promotion. The correct beggar in the eyes of the law is an adult, healthy and honest person who does not use "fake" for his occupation.

In order to understand the logic of this law, we have to delve a little deeper into the essence of the service that the beggars provide us. I will start with a personal impression: every week I shop in the market and on this occasion I purchase begging services from local enterprises, in addition I sometimes purchase these services from those who provide them for the convenience of drivers at traffic lights. Over the years, there has been an increase in the level of customer service: the beggars give extra, provide the service quickly, and once I even purchased a monthly subscription for NIS 20 at an intersection where I often stopped. This kind of contact with beggars forced me to see the transfer of coins as a transaction for everything and to wonder about the essence of the service I am buying.

Is a butcher a professional?

Is it appropriate to treat a beggar as a professional? Probably so. First, a beggar is not an idler. This is an occupation that requires effort, time and exposure to the elements and the constant danger of violence. In addition, skill is also required: sociological research suggests that success in begging requires considerable theatrical ability. In this, the beggar is no different from other professionals who work in front of an audience, when in the case of the beggar, the relationship with the target audience is particularly complex. According to the sociologist Ernst Goffman one of us presents himself to the world in different situations as a character in a play. For example, a teacher entering the classroom has to show his students a convincing appearance of a "teacher" that matches their expectations of teachers. For a beggar, managing the appearance is complicated: he must present to the passerby on the street a convincing image of a needy deserving of help, i.e. someone whose situation is difficult enough to justify alms, but not as someone who is to blame for his situation, his appearance should convey distress and illness but not cross the threshold of physical rejection. Whoever passes by a beggar will usually try to ignore his existence, his gait will become faster and his gaze will be focused on his face or on his cell phone so that the beggar becomes invisible. The hand raiders must employ a variety of communication methods aimed at preventing their dehumanization by the environment. The appeal "Do you have 5 shekels? I need to get to Be'er Sheva" is not a scam - both parties know very well that the money is not intended to supplement the price of the ticket. Through this sentence, the beggar becomes someone who has a starting point and a destination, that is, a person who belongs to society. A similar role is played by greetings, wishes or services that on the face of it are useless such as muttering "God is full of mercy" paid by the beggars of the cemetery.

the benefactor's side

But the big riddle is on the side of the benefactor.  Giving to a beggar is an extreme form of altruism: a person parting with money for the benefit of a stranger who can never repay him. Still, begging is one of the oldest and most common professions in almost every society. Altruism in general is considered a puzzle for biologists: why would a participant in the "war of existence" suddenly do favors for his competitors? Giving without return should have been eradicated by natural selection. Some have seen altruism as a form of "human being allowed over the beast" but the studies insist on providing more and more evidence of generosity in animals. Chimpanzees have been found to be willing to go to great lengths to help a stranger reach a stick they are unsuccessfully trying to get or to open a door for a stranger chimpanzee to pass through to get food. In an interesting experiment, chimpanzees preferred the proximity of humans who were presented to them as benevolent to a "beggar" compared to those who were presented to them as "misers" even in a situation where they could not expect any material benefit from the "benefactor". Nature also provides even more impressive examples of sharing food or work without apparent compensation. An Israeli biologist, Amots Zahavi, promoted the understanding of this strange phenomenon when he formulated the "theory of the liver". To win a high status that promotes the chance of winning the favor of the females, the male needs to demonstrate his strength and abilities. A safe way to do this is to adapt a structure or behavior that burdens the individual, such as the prominent and heavy tail of the peacock. Anyone who can carry such a weight and still avoid madmen can't be weak. Similarly, the one who is able to give resources for nothing in return testifies to his wealth and ability. Amots Zahavi has devoted decades to tracking wagtails: desert birds that live in flocks where there is a clear hierarchy between the individuals. It turns out that altruistic behaviors: volunteering to guard while the rest of the birds are eating or giving alms give the bird a respectable status and therefore also a high chance of fulfilling the mitzvot pro verbo. This theory makes it possible to interpret anthropological observations that show that beggars are successful to the extent that they demonstrate submissive behavior (that is, the supremacy of the giver) and that they are much more successful in obtaining alms from single passers-by than from couples or families (those who have already obtained a spouse no longer need to invest in advertising their status) . In addition, it seems that the chances of a group whose members are altruistic to survive are better than a group composed of egoists. Since bands made up of relatives were the most common form of social organization during human evolution, the war for existence may actually promote traits aimed at generosity. Indeed, studies from various disciplines such as biology, psychology and economics suggest that we are programmed from birth to enjoy acts of generosity. Surprisingly, psychological studies consistently show that the happiness derived from accumulating wealth is less than what we derive from giving. In studies that examined the effect of various variables on happiness, it turns out that in developed countries only 4% of the differences in happiness are due to income differences. On the other hand, giving to others both as a donation of money and as an investment of time and effort contributes significantly to the feeling of happiness and even to physical health. For example, a group of high school students who were assigned tasks of helping others showed a marked improvement in self-esteem and behavior compared to a control group from the same social environment, an improvement that was maintained for months after the end of the study. Studies have shown that being active for others improves a series of mental and physical indicators, including a reduction in the risk of depression in adults as well. It is possible that man's need for giving is what stands behind the seemingly strange ruling of the "Shulchan Aruch" according to which "every person must give charity according to his means." And even a poor person who makes a living from charity.. Must give charity from what is given to him. And even if he can only give a little, he should not deprive himself, because his little is as important as a lot from the rich" (Sho'a, Yore-Dea XNUMX). Beggars, therefore, are not "idlers" and are not parasites: they are service providers who satisfy a real human need for giving. This is how the stability shown by begging throughout history and between cultures can be explained. Moshe Rabbeinu prophesies that "Evion shall not cease from the earth" (Deuteronomy, chapter XNUMX). And indeed, starting with the biblical "orphan and widow sojourner", through the lepers in antiquity, the madmen who took their place when leprosy receded, and up to the drug addicts today, the beggar's position in the social fabric has never been abandoned.  

 How much does a beggar earn per day and where does it all go?

What to do, beggars do not report their receipts to the authorities (although formally a beggar's income is subject to tax like any other income). Every now and then a story is published about a rich beggar, but beggars do not tend to accumulate wealth: cash in the hands of a homeless person will usually be robbed. Most beggars work until they have enough money for basic food, drugs or alcohol they need. A study that examined the incomes of beggars found that the median income of a beggar is less than NIS 2,500 per month. It is likely that the coins you see in the beggar's cup are really a significant part of his property.

Did an interesting, intriguing, strange, delusional or funny question occur to you? sent to ysorek@gmail.com

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• Poverty may negatively affect brain size in children and adolescents
• One for all / Frans de Waal
• The road to a free society is full of good virtues