Charity

From Halachipedia

It is a positive mitzvah to give Tzedaka (charity) to the poor people of Israel; one who hardens his heart and doesn't give violates a Torah commandment [1].

Miscellaneous Facts about Tzedaka

  1. Tzedaka is a trait that characterizes the descendants of Avrohom Avinu [2].
  2. The Jewish religion isn't stable without charity [3]
  3. The one who does Tzedaka [4] is better than all the Korbanos [5].
  4. Israel will only be redeemed through Tzedaka [6]
  5. No one ever becomes poor out of giving Tzedaka, and no bad thing nor damage comes from Tzedaka [7]
  6. If one has mercy, Hashem will be merciful to him [8]
  7. Hashem is close to the poor, so one must be careful to hear their cries [9].
  8. A person should think: just as he davens to Hashem for a Parnassa / livelihood, and Hashem gives to him, so too should a person listen to the poor [10].
  9. A person shouldn't say, "how can I diminish my money and give it to the poor", because he should know that the money doesn't belong to him, but is instead a a deposit from Hashem in order to do His will[11].
  10. Tzedaka pushes aside evil decrees and adds life.[12]

General guidelines

  1. There is no bracha for the mitzvah of Tzedaka. See the footnote for different reasons suggested. [13]

Who should give?

  1. Even a poor person, himself supported from Tzedaka, who has some money of his own that isn't needed for business, should give Tzedaka even if it’s only a small amount. [14]. This is because he has a way of making a livelihood--namely, collecting Tzedaka--which won't be hampered by his giving Tzedaka [15].
  2. A poor person who doesn't have much shouldn't feel bad that he can't give much, because his small amount is better than a lot from a wealthy person [16].
  3. Someone who only has enough for his livelihood isn't obligated to give, since his livelihood takes precedence to others [17].
  4. Many opinions hold that if one decided to give charity mentally without expressing it verbally, one should fulfill that decision. [18]

How much to give

  1. The community should supply a poor person who asks in private the amount he is lacking with respect to his previous standard of living. However, to a poor person who is knocking on doors the community only needs to give him money for 2 meals and a place to stay. [19]
  2. It is better to give a lot of poor people a little money, then to give one poor person a lot of money. [20]

Maaser Kesafim

  1. There is a praiseworthy minhag to give a tenth of one’s income in charity every year. Before accepting this minhag one should stipulate that one will be able to use the money set aside for Maaser could be used for Mitzvot. [21]
  2. If one has financial difficulty one should stipulate from the beginning that one will only give Maaser after having subtracted all of one’s expenses from one’s incomes. [22]

Taking Tzedaka

  1. A person should endeavor to refrain from taking charity and endure some hardship in order not to take charity. Chazal state that it is preferable to make your Shabbat meal like a weekday rather than take from charity. (See the Kavod Shabbat page for the practical laws about how a poor person should fulfill Kavod Shabbat.) Anyone who presses himself to live with difficulty without taking charity is blessed to one day have enough money to support others. Nonetheless, one who needs to take from charity in order to live and doesn't take is sinning.[23]
  2. A person who doesn't need to take charity and nonetheless deceives people and takes is sinning and is cursed by chazal to really become poor.[24]

Sources

  1. ↑ See Devarim 15:7-11, Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot (Mitzvah Aseh #195)
  2. ↑ KSA 34:1
  3. ↑ ibid.
  4. ↑ In this instance, "tzedaka" refers to acts of kindness as well, because the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch described it as one who does Tzedaka, not one who gives Tzedaka
  5. ↑ ibid.
  6. ↑ ibid.
  7. ↑ ibid.
  8. ↑ ibid.
  9. ↑ ibid.
  10. ↑ ibid.
  11. ↑ ibid.
  12. ↑ ibid.
  13. ↑ The Sh"t HaRashba 1:18 explains that there's no bracha for the mitzvah of tzadaka because it depends on the reciever and since it is possible that he receiver will not accept the money, chazal didn't establish a bracha for the mitzvah. The Aruch HaShulchan YD 240:2 explains that the reason there is no bracha for Tzadaka is because both Jews and non-Jews do this deed. Since the primary difference between a Jew and non-Jew who take such actions is the intent, that the Jew does it in order to fulfill a mitzvah and the non-Jew does it because its moral, for such an action one may not say "Asher Kideshanu" - we were commanded in this specific action.
  14. ↑ Kitzur S”A 34:2
  15. ↑ ibid.
  16. ↑ ibid.
  17. ↑ ibid.
  18. ↑ There's two opinions in Shulchan Aruch C”M 212:8 if a mental thought to make something hekdesh or tzedaka is binding. The Rama C”M 212:8 and Y"D 258:13 writes that the halacha is that it is binding. Yachava Daat 6:52 has a doubt about the opinion of Shulchan Aruch. On the one hand, since there are two opinions in S”A, it would seem that the halacha is like the second one, who in this case is lenient. But, on the other hand, the second opinion is quoted as yesh mi she'omer in singular, whereas the first is quoted in plural yesh omrim. Yalkut Yosef y"d 247-259:12 just quotes S"A but doesn't give a definitive ruling. In one article of DailyHalacha by Rabbi Mansour, he writes that we're lenient according to the opinion of the Daat Esh who says that everyone agrees that its not binding if the whole event was mental but there's a dispute if you said you'd give but didn't specify. However, the Yachava Daat 6:52 argues that this opinion is not implied by S"A. However, in another article Rabbi Mansour writes that we're machmir that it is binding according to the Or Letzion.
  19. ↑ Kitzur S”A 34:3
  20. ↑ Rambam Peirush Hamishnayot Avot 3:15
  21. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A YD 247:10)
  22. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A YD 247:10)
  23. ↑ Kitzur S"A 34:15-16
  24. ↑ Kitzur S"A 34:16
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