According to Judaism, philanthropy is not an option but a commandment, a Mitzvah ― a duty to one's community, to God, and to oneself. Not a fashionable item for cocktail chitchat, but a commandment to be quietly woven into the framework of daily life.
Tzedakah. The root of the word means "justice."
It is forbidden to avert one's eyes from someone in need, and help should be given in the way that most preserves the dignity of the individual receiving the money. Charity is not only an obligation of the rich who can afford to give millions, but even someone who receives tzedakah himself should still try to give anything that he can. The fulfillment of the obligation to give tzedakah and support others in need is part of each Jew's task to continue to perfect the world that God created and create a moral and just society, thus no one is exempt. Children are taught to regularly give tzedakah at a very early age.
It is written that tzedakah reaches its greatest heights when it is done in the way that preserves the dignity of the receiver to the utmost. True justice cannot be achieved by denigrating others. Maimonides, a medieval philosopher and codifier of Jewish law, delineated eight levels of giving charity reflecting the principle of human worth.
Listed below are Maimonides' eight levels of giving from lowest to highest:
8. A person gives but is not happy when s/he digs into his/her pocket in order to give.
7. A person gives cheerfully, but gives less than s/he should.
6. A person gives, but only when asked by a poor person.
5. A person gives without having to be asked, but gives directly to the poor. The poor person knows who gave the help, and the giver knows who was benefited
4. A person gives a donation in a certain place, but walks away so that the giver does not know who received the benefit. However, the poor person knows the giver.
3. A person makes a donation to a poor person secretly. The giver knows who was benefited, but the poor person does not know who the giver was.
2. A person contributes anonymously to the tzedakah fund, which is then distributed to the poor.
1. The highest level of charity is to give money and help to prevent another person from becoming poor. For example, teaching a person a trade, finding them a job, lending money, teaching them to fish.
WEBSITES ON TZEDAKAH
Give Daily: http://www.givedaily.org/redesign/index2.php
Give Daily is a site dedicated to encouraging people to give charity daily- in schools and online.
Giving Wisely: http://www.givingwisely.org.il/WebSites.htm
Giving Wisely is a comprehensive Internet directory of Israeli nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
Jewish Fund for Justice: http://www.jfjustice.org
The Jewish Fund for Justice is the only national Jewish organization solely committed to fighting the injustice of poverty in America. By assisting grassroots organizations of low-income people from all backgrounds and faiths struggling for decent housing, schools, healthcare and jobs and by educating Jews about poverty issues and the importance of developing community-based social justice partnerships, the Jewish Fund for Justice brings to life the core Jewish values of tikkun olam (repair of the world) and tzedakah (righteous giving).
Just Tzedaka: http://www.just-tzedakah.org
The mission of this site and organization is to provide tools and encouragement to increase the level and effectiveness of tzedakah (charity) among American Jews. It endeavors to assist donors to give tzedakah with care, thought, knowledge, and an overall strategy, not impulsively. This site contains a brief summary of some halachic (Jewish law) issues related to giving tzedakah , profiles of Jewish charities, information on activities, leadership, and finances and excerpts from classical Jewish sources.
Kavod: http://www.kavod.org/
Kavod, a tzedakah collective creates new programs and fund existing programs that help Jews and non-Jews living in the United States, Israel, and around the world to live in dignity and honor.
Machar: http://www.machar.net/
MACHAR teaches Jewish high school students about poverty in America. Service projects that support microlending, community investment, and grassroots empowerment are interwoven with Jewish text study and critical reflection on American culture. MACHAR involves Jewish youth in projects that fight poverty in the spirit of Maimonides' highest level of tzedakah --a partnership that enables someone to become self-sufficient.
The Joy of Charity: http://www.joyoflife.org.il
The more you give, the more you get. The purpose of this site is to explain how this works and to encourage you to try it out. It includes philosophy and texts on charity as well as other resources.
Comments (4)
Great post. I really enjoyed learning about Tzedakah.
Posted by girasoli | March 2, 2008 10:42 PM
Posted on March 2, 2008 22:42
I loved this blog entry, Amy.
I grew up in a family with a strong protestant tradition of the 10% tithe to the church.
As with many Christian traditions that have been borrowed, I'm sure tithing has its roots in Tzedakah. But, it appears an awful lot got "lost in the translation".
I like Tzedakah much better.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Deborah | March 3, 2008 6:50 PM
Posted on March 3, 2008 18:50
Thank you, Amy - I really enjoyed reading this and learning about it. I'll check out a couple of those links, too.
Posted by colleen | March 4, 2008 7:54 PM
Posted on March 4, 2008 19:54
Amy you explain it well; too bad you weren't my hebrew school teacher ;).
Posted by Kim | March 4, 2008 8:51 PM
Posted on March 4, 2008 20:51