It is taught in the Torah (Devarim 24:15): “בְּיוֹמוֹ תִתֵּן שְׂכָרוֹ, וְלֹא־תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ—Pay him his wages on the same day, do not let the sun go down on it.”
And our Sages explain (Bava Metzia 111a) that one who withholds wages is as though he takes the very soul of his fellow.
Now consider: Are not the scholars and scientists who labor to heal disease, to discover remedies, to understand the world that the Holy One, blessed be He, created—are they not workers? They give their minds and years in toil for the sake of all Israel and all mankind. Yet how often their “wages” are delayed, their projects unfunded, their work cast aside for lack of bread. This is a great injustice, and one who loves Torah cannot remain silent.
Just as a day-laborer must be paid at sunset, so too must the scientist be supported while he labors. For if we fail to uphold them, it is as if we steal from them, and more: we steal from the sick who await healing, from the hungry who await sustenance, from the children yet unborn who await a world repaired.
And behold, our Rabbis taught: Tikkun Olam—“the repair of the world”—is a foundation of halacha itself, whether in the freeing of slaves (Gittin 4:2), in fair commerce, or in acts of kindness. What greater Tikkun Olam exists than to advance wisdom that prevents suffering and preserves life? Is it not written (Vayikra 19:16): “Do not stand idly by the blood of your fellow”? Science that saves lives is a fulfillment of this verse in our generation.
Therefore, supporting science is not only an act of generosity—it is Torah itself. It is tzedakah, it is chesed, it is Tikkun Olam. And it is the payment of wages long overdue to those who work for the healing of creation.
Thus the Jew who gives to sustain this holy labor joins himself to the covenant of Avraham, who was promised that through his seed “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Bereishit 12:3). By such giving, Israel is truly a light unto the nations (Yeshayahu 42:6), shining not only with words of Torah but with the deeds of wisdom and healing that flow from Torah’s spirit.
Therefore let each one fulfill this mitzvah in deed and not in word alone. Support the laborers of wisdom and the repair of the world through this fund: Donate here to Science-DAO.