Christian Superiority

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This is to some extent off topic. I try to read some kind of daybook
every morning. It's part of the dues I have to pay for the pleasure of
15 years of recovery from alcoholism. I have work my way through most
daybooks written for the recovery community and have used daily
meditation books from many religions. I'm currently working on a book
written by a Reform rabbi. Apparently, modern Judaism takes the
perpetual fire described in Lev. 6:1-8:36 to be the fire of Tzedakah,
the required charitable giving of the Jewish faith. There is a quote
listed as period of the Mishnah. (The Mishnah is part of the Talmud.):

    Who gives Tzedakah is blessed. Who lends is even better. Who gives a
poor man money with
    which to trade and  becomes his partner at half profits is better
still.

This is followed by a quote identified only as from the Talmud:

     Abba and Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish [both] said: It is better to lend
than to give Tzedakah, and
    better still to set up a business partnership with the poor.

I would guess Abba is Abba Saul, identified in _The Essence of Talmudic
Law and Thought_ as a third century Talmudic teacher. I can find no
reference to date this particular Rabbi Simeon. If anyone else can
better identify the source and date these quotes I would appreciate it.
However, here is my question for the Christians on this list. These
quotes are apparently from the Pharisees of the Sanhedrin (the council)
or their students from a time close to within two hundred years of the
time of the supposed teachings of your Jesus. Your Jesus' morality was
supposed to be far superior to theirs. Would you care to attempt to
defend the superiority of Christian giving to the forms of giving
suggested by these Talmudic quotes?
Helen
hhiwater@bright.net

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