the jewish perspective on giving

Every Sunday morning as a kid, I put tzedakah money in my pocket to take to Sunday School. As I grew older, a tzedakah box for loose change found its way onto a shelf wherever I lived. Giving was always part of the formula in my family. I watched my parents and their friends do it; then it just felt natural to do it on my own. Finding causes to champion and support was/is status quo.

After a quick google search, I found the following information, which I felt was worth sharing:

"‘Tzedakah’ is the Hebrew word for the acts that are called ‘charity’ in English: giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However, the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word ‘charity’ suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy. The word ‘tzedakah’ is derived from the Hebrew root Tzadei-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due.

Giving to the poor is an obligation in Judaism, a duty that cannot be forsaken even by those who are themselves in need. Some sages have said that tzedakah is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined.

Certain kinds of tzedakah are considered more meritorious than others. The Talmud describes these different levels of tzedakah, and Rambam organized them into a list. The levels of charity, from the least meritorious to the most meritorious, are:

Giving begrudgingly

Giving less that you should, but giving it cheerfully

Giving after being asked

Giving before being asked

Giving when you do not know the recipient's identity, but the recipient knows your identity

Giving when you know the recipient's identity, but the recipient doesn't know your identity

Giving when neither party knows the other's identity

Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant"