Charity: Difference between revisions

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==Whom To Give To==
==Whom To Give To==
# The community should also give non-Jews food and clothing, similar to Jews, because of "Darchei Shalom" / so as to not promote poor relations with non-Jews <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:3 </ref>.
===Non-Jews===
# In order of preference: One should give to his poor relatives before the poor of his city, the poor of his city before the poor of a different city.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6, learned out from the verse: לאחיך לעניך ולאביונך בארצך. The Ran (Nedarim 65b s.v. elah) says there is an obligation to support relatives in need based on the pasuk of Vechay Achicha Imach (Vayikra 25:35). </ref>. However, a public charity collector must not give precedence to his relatives <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6 </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>
# It is still called "[[Tzedaka]]" to give money to one's children above 6 years of age (one is not obligated to support them beyond that age), in order to support one's sons for Torah learning or guide one's daughters in a proper path, and to give money to a father who can't support himself. Indeed, they take precedence over other people entitled to receive [[Tzedaka]] <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6 </ref>.
===Tzedaka Priorities===
# One must be especially careful to give to a poor Torah scholar. If he doesn't want to receive it, we sell him merchandise at a low price and buy it at a high price, or give him money to do business.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:14 </ref>.
# 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).</ref>
### A poor parent,
### A poor child,
### 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.</ref>
## A poor neighbor or poor friend who lives in the city,<ref>Chachmat Adam 145:1 writes that giving to neighbors before other poor people of the city applies to anyone who one is friendly with and not specifically who lives in close proximity.</ref>
## Other poor people of his city or his wife's relatives,<ref>Maharam Mintz 7 explains that relative of one's wife are a higher priority than relatives that live outside your city and are similar to poor of your city. This is cites by Maharam Ziskind 19 and Pitchei Teshuva 251:2.</ref>
## Poor people of Yerushalayim,<ref>Chatom Sofer YD 233-234 explains that the poor of Yerushalayim have priority since it is a mitzvah to live in Yerushalayim and someone who does more mitzvot has a higher priority to reach tzedaka.</ref>
## Poor people of Israel,<ref>The Sifrei (Piska 116) understands כי יהיה בך אביון וכו' בארצך אשר ה' אלקיך נתן לך (Devarim 15:7) that it is a mitzvah to give to the poor of Eretz Yisrael before the poor outside Israel. Tur (Pirush Haaruch Devarim 15:11) derives it from ולאביונך בארצך (Devarim 15:11).</ref>
## Poor people outside Israel.<ref>Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 251:3, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6. Mechilta (Mishpatim ch. 19) learns from the pasuk את העני עמך (Shemot 22:24) that relatives come first and then poor of your city, and then the poor of another city. However, the Sifrei (Piska 116) derives this idea from the pasuk כי יהיה בך אביון מאחד אחיך באחד שעריך בארצך אשר ה' אלקיך נתן לך לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפץ את ידך מאחיך האביון (Devarim 15:7) that the order of priorities in tzedaka are: paternal relatives, maternal relatives, poor people of your city, poor people of Eretz Yisrael, and then poor people of outside Israel. This is also found in Midrash Tenayim Devarim 15:7. Bet Yosef 251:3 codifies this Sifrei and quotes it from the Smag (Asin 162) and Mordechai (b"b 503).
* See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6 who learns this idea from לאחיך לעניך ולאביונך בארצך (Devarim 15:11). Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Bechor Shor, and Chizkuni on Devarim 15:11 all espouse this interpretation.</ref>
#A public charity collector must not give precedence to his relatives.<ref>Mordechai b"b 502 cited by Darkei Moshe 251:3, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6 </ref>
===Children===
# It is called "Tzedaka" to give money to one's children above 6 years of age (one is not obligated to support them beyond that age), in order to support one's sons for Torah learning or guide one's daughters in a proper path, and to give money to a father who can't support himself. Indeed, they take precedence over other people entitled to receive [[Tzedaka]]. <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:6 </ref>
===Torah Scholars===
# One must be especially careful to give to a poor Torah scholar. If he doesn't want to receive it, one should try to help him make money in an honorable way or give him money to do business.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:14 </ref>.


==How to Give it==
==How to Give it==
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