where did the thousand dollars come from?

Skunks,
I have to tell you, I normally just read people's posts and move along, but your simple yet on target reply made me laugh out loud. I'm still chuckling several minutes later.
Your comment is so appropriate for so many on these boards.
Thank you.

Dear Sharona,
I agree with your comment. Only want to stress that it not only is commonplace inside the religious communities, but also as a part of the contact between them and the "outside world".
<b>Tzedaka</b> (normally translated as charity although the exact meaning you surely know is <b>"justice"</b> ) is given always. Primarily to the nearer (community members and relatives) but is given to the rest of the world also.
And I know this first-hand.
Tzedaka has specific laws and customs (there are some wrote by the Rambam / Maimonides), and it's not an sometimes act, it's part of the daily life.
Of course this is a movie. A beautyfull one!

I liked this movie very much but, being a Gentile largely ignorant of ultra-conservative Jewish ways, was left with two major questions about Hasid life. The queries posed about the thousand dollars and the informative replies to the same provided me with an answer to one of my questions. But I'm still left with the other question, for which I hope I will be forgiven. In short, what is Moshe's job? I see in the film that Moshe spends much time at the yeshiva, studying and praying. Indeed, early in the film, Mali berates Moshe for being so retiring with the bigwigs at the yeshiva, saying that another student there would have burned the place down if subjected to the same treatment as Moshe. So is going to yeshiva what Moshe does for a living? Or is that even the right question to ask? I know that ultra-conservative Jews in Israel enjoy a set of special privileges and even, in some cases, support from the government. Would that be the case with a man in Moshe's position? If not, how would he support himself and a family?

Well, not entirely. It would be a plot device in this context. However, the concept of giving to charity during religious holidays is very common in many religions - obviously, it is strongly felt in this particularly strong religious community seen in the movie. Together, the leaders chose from a random list of (community dwellers?) a random name, to whom they will give the donation (probably a percentage of the year's collection?) without naming its source. The 'plot device' as some have called it did perform a function to move this story along, but it was also contextually placed and did not derail the story or seem to come from outer space. It fit right in with the rest of the orthodox and religious behaviors of the community.

Maybe a better question would be, how likely is it that the rabbi would give all $1000 to a single person? Wouldn't it make more sense to give $100 to 10 people, or $250 to 4 people? I know the courier or whatever he was said he had to go out of town and was in a hurry to "unload" the money, but is that an acceptable excuse, since I'm guessing it was this guy's job to distribute donations all day long? Seems like poor planning to me.
Was it imperative that the money get distributed that day (I guess because Sukkot was coming up, maybe it was)?

I guess it is a cultural barrier more than anything. Americans are certainly charitable, but there is less giving in this manner of "here, do something with this $1000". That is a purer version of charity, that also requires a lot of trust that it will get to a deserving person. In the U.S., it is quite likely that such a donation would end up in the pocket of an unscrupulous person.