That's my money; I worked hard for it; why should I have to give some to charity?
Rabbi Dr J Immanuel Schochet, with Dr. Michael Kigel, discusses the mitzvah of charity. Giving tzedakah acknowledges that nothing is truly yours; everything is from G-d. The difference between a man and an animal is that the animal is preprogrammed, but man has freedom of choice. He may be tempted to act like an animal but he can choose to live like a mentsh.
