Tikun Olam
Question
I have heard that in general, tzedakah should be given to help those in need. I often give money to humane societies and environmental protection services as well as to those in need, but have been criticized for my 'non-personable' givings. My justification is that everything is Hashem's creatures, and just because a dog or water is not a person, these resources have value and need to be 'saved' as well. To further defend my argument, resources, such as trees and water, allow humans to survive--without these resources people could not survive. Thus, by giving to such charities, you are indirectly helping to all who are in need of such resources. People still tell me that this is 'not as good' as directly giving to someone in need. Why is there a rating system? Isn't giving just giving? I like to think that Tikun Olam means repairing the whole world and everything in it; not just Jews and those who are poor.