Tzedakah

Charity vs. Tzedakah

 

Charity and tzedakah are similar in some ways and different in other ways. When we give to charity, we only give if and when we feel like giving. When we give tzedakah we give no matter what mood we are in. Jewish tradition says we must give tzedakah no matter how we feel.

 

Levels of Tzedakah

 

Listed below are the levels of tzedakah. These are based on the way you give tzedakah, they are listed from the lowest way to highest.

 

1.  Giving reluctantly and with regret.

2.  Giving graciously, but less than one should.

3.  Giving what one should but only after being asked.

4.  Giving before being asked.

5.  Giving without knowing the identity of the recipient, although the recipient knows the identity of the donor.

6.  Giving anonymously , knowing the identity of the recipient.

7.  Giving without knowing the identity of the recipient, and the recipient not knowing the identity of the donor.

8.  Helping recipient get a job so he/she no longer has to rely on someone else for money.

 

Can Kids Perform Tzedakah? Why Or Why Not?

 

In some ways kids can perform tzedakah and in some ways they can’t. A few ways that kids can perform tzedakah are by giving away items they no longer needed in their house, putting some change in a tzedakah box or organizing a fund raiser to help raise money for a cause. Remember kids sometime can be just as smart as adults and may understand the point of tzedakah just as much as an adult does. Some reasons why kids can’t perform it, is because sometimes people are prejudice against kids and don’t let kids volunteer until a certain age or sometimes kids can’t make as big of an impact as an adult could.

 

How To give Tzedakah

 

I think the way tzedakah should be given is by volunteering to do it and not by being asked to. If you are being asked to give tzedakah I don’t think that it’s a mitzvah at all because it wasn’t your idea and it isn’t coming from your heart. We should not be performing tzedakah only when we feel like it ,we should be performing  it regularly, whether we feel like it or not.It should be a part of our every day life.

 

What Does Tzedakah Have to do With Judaism?

In Judaism we are obligated to give about 10%-20% of our earnings to tzedakah. We as jews should care for those who are less fortunate than us and help them. One reason why a lot of jews celebrate things like weddings and baby namings is so that they can donate part of the gifts to people who really need them. “ We are reassured that jewish tradition will always help us become the best people we can be, no matter what our mood.”

 By: Isabelle