Paragraphs on Tzedakah by Shakaed

1. Levels of Tzedakah

There are eight levels of Tzedakah. This is the order of them, from the least way to the best one.

1) Giving but regretting it

2) Giving, but less than one should

3) Giving, but only because you are being asked

4) Giving before being asked

5) Giving without knowing who you’re giving to, although the person who you’re giving to knows who’s giving

6) Giving anonymously

7) Giving without knowing who you’re giving to, and the person who you give to doesn’t know who’s giving

8) Giving someone something that will help them become independent, for example a job or a loan

2. Can kids perform Tzedakah?

Yes, kids can perform Tzedakah. Even if you give 50 cents that still counts. There are many ways to perform Tzedakah, less extreme and more extreme. 50 cents is less extreme, and giving a million dollars is more extreme. The most important thing is not necessarily how much you give since kids don't always have a lot of money; what matters is that you give, and really mean it.

I think that it doesn’t matter what age you are; a 10 year old kid might know more about giving than a 35 year old person, but people think that kids are not responsible enough. Like at the SPCA, you can only volunteer if you are age 14 and up.

Giving Tzedakah is more than just giving money so we get a candy from our mom each time we put a dollar in the Tzedakah box. We must give Tzedakah meaningfully, and everyone can do it, including kids.

3. Ways to give Tzedakah

There are many ways to give Tzedakah. After all, Tzedakah does not necessarily have to be money. It can also be a gift or an employment to someone who needs a job. You can give money, you can help out in the children’s hospital, you can participate in a walkathon, bikathon or make a raffle to earn money to donate, Etc.

4. Charity vs. Tzedakah

Charity comes from the Latin word Caritas, meaning “From the heart”. It’s giving when we feel like giving. Charity is good on days we feel generous. But what if we don’t feel so generous that day? What happens to the people who need our support? The answer is Tzedakah. Tzedakah obligates us to give our time, talents, or money, on a regular basis, whether we feel generous or not. This way we make sure that whoever needs our help, will get it all the time no matter how we feel on a certain day.

Shakaed 6A