Tzedakah

There are eight levels of tzedakah. Maimonides said the lowest is to give but grudgingly and the highest is to help a person become self supporting. You can help someone by giving them a job or a loan so they can help themselves.

Charity and tzedakah are similar but not quite the same. Both can involve giving money. Charity is from the heart and given only when we feel like it. This doesn't help the needy, poor and sick who might need some help when you not feeling generous. Tzedakah means justice. It is a duty so we have to give it. It can be by volunteering our time or giving money. 

Everyone can perform tzedakah even kids. Kids can can save their pennies and put them in a JNF box. Kids can can create a fundraiser at their school or in their neighbourhood and donate the money. 

Tzedakah is a tradition of giving in Judaism. It has been around since biblical time when farmers would leave the corners of their crops for the poor. It seems like even though the grain was in the farmer's field it didn't really belong to him. Today we have to give 10% of our annual income to tzedakah and even though we made the money it is not ours to spend.

Tzedakah should be given to remind us that we have so much and that we have much to give.  It helps us make other peoples lives better. 

BY: Eli