Destination Anywhere

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.