Nas Daily Tackles Judaism
8 min read
Tzedakah is loosely translated as charity, but it means much more than that.
The concept of tzedakah, loosely translated as charity, is an important Jewish idea, and a hallmark of Jewish communal life. The obligation to help others in need is mentioned throughout the Torah—in both its narrative and legal sections—and is the objective of many of the Torah’s commandments, like it says in the book of Leviticus (25:35):
“When your brother becomes impoverished and loses the ability to support himself in the community, you must come to his aid. Help him survive, whether he is a proselyte or a native Israelite.”
According to the Talmud (Sotah 14A), the Torah starts with an act of kindness, and ends with an act of kindness. It starts with an act of kindness (Genesis 2:21), “And God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them,” and ends with an act of kindness (Deuteronomy 34:6), “And God buried Moses in the valley in the land of Moab.”
From that, it’s understood that tzedakah is more than just giving money, and could also include giving an interest-free loan, showing hospitality to guests, visiting the sick, burying the dead, helping a couple get married, and many other things that support others in need. The term is usually translated as “righteousness” or “justice”—and in modern Hebrew also has connotations of “equitable” or “just”—and implies that helping others is not considered extraordinary: it’s simply the right thing to do, and part of living a Jewish life.
The term, tzedakah, is mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy (16:20), “Justice, justice you shall pursue, so that you will live and occupy the land that God is giving you.” In context, the term refers to setting up a legal system—and that judges are supposed to be impartial when rendering verdicts—although its colloquial meaning has come to refer to charity and other acts of kindness. God takes care of you, even though you may not be perfect; so too, you have an obligation to take care of others.
The great medieval rabbi and scholar, Rabbi Moses Mainonides1, ranks eight different levels of giving, from highest to lowest, although even the lowest level is still meritorious:
For Maimonides, the highest level of giving is a loan that the recipient pays back. In Jewish thought, God created the world for your benefit and pleasure. The greatest pleasure is a relationship with Him, and creating that relationship is up to you—it’s your responsibility—and God gave you the independence and freedom to do that.
According to the 18th century kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto2:
"In order to bestow the best possible good, God knew that it was appropriate that the recipient, [man], should receive [his reward] as a result of his own efforts. [Man] would then own that good, and would not be left with any shame for having received [a handout]. Like it says in the Jerusalem Talmud (Orla 1:3), 'One who eats that which isn't his, is embarrassed to look at [his benefactor] in the face' (נהמא דכיסופא, or ‘bread of shame’).”
When you give a loan that the recipient pays back, instead of giving a handout, you’re giving independence. In a sense, that’s a fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:9, “Keep God’s commandments and walk in His ways,” which, according to Maimonides, is the commandment to “emulate God.”3 God gave you the independence to actualize your potential, and by giving a loan that gets paid back, you’re doing the same for someone else.
The idea of donating 10 percent of your income to others dates back to the origins of the Jewish people. In Genesis 14:20, the biblical patriarch, Abraham, dedicated a tenth of the booty he captured in war to Melchizedek, the king of Salam, after he blessed him. Also in Genesis, 28:22, the patriarch Jacob pledged 10 percent of his income after making a vow to God.
In the book of Leviticus, the Torah mentions numerous gifts related to agriculture and livestock—many of which are a tenth, and some of which go to the poor—that are often referred to with the generic name, ma’aser (מעשר). Ma’aser literally means, “one tenth,” and may be the origin of the English word, tithe.
Many of the agricultural tithes mentioned in the Torah are only applicable in the land of Israel, some of which are observed today (although, for a variety of reasons, in ways that differ from how they’re described in the Torah).
Nowadays, the primary way most Jews observe the obligation of giving tzedakah is called ma’aser kesafim (מעשר כספים), which means, “a tenth of your money.”
According to Jewish law, you’re obligated to set aside a tenth of your income to give to people in need and other worthwhile causes,4 and it’s your responsibility to investigate if you’re concerned the person or cause may not be legitimate. The maximum you should give is 20 percent, in order that you don’t give away too much of your income and come to rely on tzedakah yourself. Exceptions to that rule include times of great need and people with fabulous wealth.
That said, according to the Talmud,5 the meaning of Deuteronomy 14:22, “You shall surely tithe (עשר תעשר),” is that if you’re careful with giving tithes, you will become wealthy, and that you can even test it (although it’s a dispute if testing applies only to agricultural tithes, or even to giving money).
Some people also create a free loan fund, called a Gemach (an acronym of the Hebrew phrase for “bestowing kindness”), and offer interest-free loans to people in need. Some free loan funds, like New York’s Hebrew Free Loan Society, give out millions of dollars a year in interest-free loans. In addition to money, in many Jewish communities around the world, people set up Gemachs to lend out an overwhelming array of items like diapers, wedding dresses, baby strollers, aspirin, folding chairs, Shabbat candles, rides to neighboring cities, and whatever else you can imagine.
Many Jews give donations in multiples of 18. The reason for that is that every Hebrew letter also has a numerical value—similar to Roman numerals, where v is 5 and x is 10—meaning that Hebrew words add up to a numerical value as well.
The Hebrew word for “life” is “chai,” which looks like this: חי
Those two letters, chet (ח) and yud (י), add up to 18. In other words, “life” equals “18.” For many, giving gifts in multiples of 18 is a way of blessing someone with life and prosperity.
On a deeper level, every person has different needs, and you should give an amount that’s appropriate to his situation. The Torah hints to that idea using the analogy of a hand.
According to Deuteronomy 15:7-8, "You shall not harden your heart or close your hand from your needy brother." When you shut your hand, your fingers give the appearance of being the same length, and you might think that every person should get the same amount. But that’s not the case, rather, "You must open your hand to him.” When you open your hand, you'll notice that each finger is a different length. Look at your fingers, and give each person according to his needs.
The word tzedakah is usually translated as charity, although its deeper meaning is righteousness or justice. Helping others is not considered extraordinary: it’s simply the right thing to do.
A tzedakah box is called a pushke in Yiddish (פושקע), and you’ll see them in Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. Many people give small donations when they light candles before Shabbat, before they pray, or when they have loose change and want to get rid of it. Pushkes are ubiquitous in the Jewish world. Some are for specific, worthwhile causes, while others (especially those in Jewish homes) get divvied up—also for worthwhile causes—after they’re full.
The explanation of the closed hand & the open hand brought a smile to my heart &to my face....my mama used to tell me " some people need shoes, some people need shoelaces" ....thank you!
Wonderful article! May each and every person who reads this have prosperity and abundance in their life both in material and spiritual terms.