Charity: Difference between revisions
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→Tzedaka Priorities
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===Non-Jews=== | ===Non-Jews=== | ||
# The community should give non-Jews food and clothing just like they give to Jews, because of "Darchei Shalom," promoting positive relations with non-Jews.<ref>Rama Y.D. 251:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:3. The Ran Gittin 28a s.v. kovrin understands that one should support poor non-Jews even if they're not asking together with Jewish poor people. However, the Mordechai (cited by Darkei Moshe 251:1) argues that only if the Jewish and non-Jewish poor are requesting simultaneously and it would be apparent that one wouldn't give to a non-Jew that one should give to the non-Jew as well. Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 151:12 and Shach 251:2 rule like the Ran. Gra 251:2 understands the Rama to hold like the Mordechai but personally seems to agree with the Ran. </ref> | # The community should give non-Jews food and clothing just like they give to Jews, because of "Darchei Shalom," promoting positive relations with non-Jews.<ref>Rama Y.D. 251:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:3. The Ran Gittin 28a s.v. kovrin understands that one should support poor non-Jews even if they're not asking together with Jewish poor people. However, the Mordechai (cited by Darkei Moshe 251:1) argues that only if the Jewish and non-Jewish poor are requesting simultaneously and it would be apparent that one wouldn't give to a non-Jew that one should give to the non-Jew as well. Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 151:12 and Shach 251:2 rule like the Ran. Gra 251:2 understands the Rama to hold like the Mordechai but personally seems to agree with the Ran. </ref> | ||
===Priorities | |||
From the greatest mitzvah one can do with money to the least the hierarchy is to give for: | |||
##Talmud Torah or poor sick people<ref>Maharik 128 learns from the Tashbetz’s version of the Yerushalmi that it is better to spend on Talmud Torah and poor sick people than for building a shul. Maharam Rotenberg (Pragua responsa 692) writes that it is better to give tzedaka to sick people than for the lights of the shul.</ref> | |||
#Building the shul<ref>Maharik 128</ref> | |||
##Hachnasat Kallah, helping the poor make a wedding for their daughter.<ref>Maharik 123 writes that the greatest thing within tzedaka to give to is helping orphaned girls get married. Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 249:15 codifies this.</ref> | |||
##General tzedaka to poor people<ref>Maharik 128 writes that giving to general poor comes after the needs of building a shul. Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 249:16 codifies this.</ref> | |||
===Tzedaka Priorities=== | ===Tzedaka Priorities=== | ||
# The order of priorities where one should allocate one's tzedaka is as follows from the highest priority to lowest priority: | # The order of priorities where one should allocate one's tzedaka is as follows from the highest priority to lowest priority: | ||
## A poor relative,<ref>The Ran (Nedarim 65b s.v. elah) says there is an obligation to support relatives in need based on the pasuk of וחי אחיך עמך (Vayikra 25:35). How far does the category of relatives go? Teshuvot Vehanhagot 1:560:13 writes that the primary relatives for tzedaka are those who a person would be invalid for testimony. </ref> | ## A poor relative,<ref>The Ran (Nedarim 65b s.v. elah) says there is an obligation to support relatives in need based on the pasuk of וחי אחיך עמך (Vayikra 25:35). How far does the category of relatives go? Teshuvot Vehanhagot 1:560:13 writes that the primary relatives for tzedaka are those who a person would be invalid for testimony. </ref> | ||
### A poor parent, | ### A poor parent, | ||
### A poor child,<ref>Tana Dvei Eliyahu (Ish Shalom ch. 25) writes that one should give priority to give tzedaka to one's parents, siblings, children, neighbors, poor of the city, poor Jews everywhere else. Gra 251:4 quotes this. Other sources that indicate that priority is given to one's parents before one's children is Yerushalami Peah 1:1 (cited by Hagahot Vhaarot 251:15). Tur and Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 251:3 rule that tzedaka to one's parents comes before tzedaka to one's children.</ref> | ### A poor child,<ref>Tana Dvei Eliyahu (Ish Shalom ch. 25) writes that one should give priority to give tzedaka to one's parents, siblings, children, neighbors, poor of the city, poor Jews everywhere else. Gra 251:4 quotes this. Other sources that indicate that priority is given to one's parents before one's children is Yerushalami Peah 1:1 (cited by Hagahot Vhaarot 251:15). Tur and Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 251:3 rule that tzedaka to one's parents comes before tzedaka to one's children. Aruch Hashulchan 251:3 agrees.</ref> | ||
### A poor paternal brother or sister, | ### A poor paternal brother or sister, | ||
### A poor maternal brother or sister,<ref>Sifrei (Piska 116) infers from the pasuk that paternal relatives have precedence over maternal relatives. Bet Yosef 251:3, Taz 251:2, and Shach 251:7 codify this. Tzitz Eliezer 7:38:10 writes that the order of relatives to give precedence to is: parents, children who are older than 6, grandchildren, grandparents, wife's parents, siblings, nephews and nieces, relatives of his wife, and relatives through marriage.</ref> | ### A poor maternal brother or sister,<ref>Sifrei (Piska 116) infers from the pasuk that paternal relatives have precedence over maternal relatives. Bet Yosef 251:3, Taz 251:2, and Shach 251:7 codify this. Tzitz Eliezer 7:38:10 writes that the order of relatives to give precedence to is: parents, children who are older than 6, grandchildren, grandparents, wife's parents, siblings, nephews and nieces, relatives of his wife, and relatives through marriage.</ref> | ||
