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Tzedakah: Righteous Giving

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by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
 
Tzedakah, commonly defined as the Jewish term for charity, is actually a very different concept from what we typically associate with altruistic giving. The word “charity” implies giving by people who have wealth to those who are impoverished as an act of loving-kindness. However, in the Jewish tradition, tzedakah is not rooted in kindness. Instead, it comes from the Hebrew word tzedek, meaning justice. This linguistic relationship teaches us the most fundamental concept about Jewish giving: It’s not an act of mercy; it’s an act of righteousness.

It may seem counterintuitive that charity is rooted in justice. We might think that because we have worked for our money we should decide what to do with it. If we choose to share it with others, that should be our decision. If we choose to spend it on ourselves, that should also be up to us.
 
However, that’s not how God designed the world. The word tzedakah is actually two words put together – tzedek, meaning “justice,” and kah, which is a name for God. Together these words mean “the justice of God.”
 
Based on this understanding, let’s take a look at what giving is really about when we bring God into the equation. The first step is to realize that everything belongs to God: “‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty” (Haggai 2:8). Everything that we possess — from the wealth that we attain, to the talents and circumstances that allowed us to acquire it — are all gifts from God.
 
God has given us all that we have in order that we might use our resources appropriately.
 
While we are encouraged to enjoy God’s gifts, we are also commanded to give to the poor: “If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them . . .” Since all our money is really God’s to begin with, He has every right to command us to share what we have with others. In fact, according to Jewish tradition, when we give to the poor, we are merely giving them what is theirs in the first place, but entrusted to us temporarily. It is indeed an act of justice.
 
In this month’s Limmud we will explore the depth and breadth of the concept of tzedakah from a Jewish perspective as rooted in the Bible. We will learn how tzedakah is a foundational value in the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, “fixing the world.” God could have completed creation without our involvement, but He chose to leave the work of creation unfinished so that we might be His partners in creating the ideal world. The primary way through which we do that is by upholding the ideals of kindness and justice. Tzedakah is a way for us to put both values into action. In our study we will examine how righteous giving forms the building blocks of God’s Kingdom and brings us closer to a perfected world.
 
It goes against logic that if we give something away, we will be left with more, not less. Yet God promises us exactly that when it comes to giving tzedakah. In Proverbs 28:27 we read: “Those who give to the poor will lack nothing . . .” However, not only will we not lack as a result of our giving, we also will gain.

In general, according to Jewish belief, we are not allowed to test God. We cannot say that if we pray extra hard, we expect God to give us all we pray for. We are not permitted to say that if we do a certain act of kindness than we expect extra Divine protection. Yet, there is one exception.

When it comes to the act of giving tzedakah, God promises to reward us financially, and He tells us, “Test me in this.” In the book of Malachi, God told the Israelites, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this . . . and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
 
This is why the Jewish sages equate giving tzedakah with emunah, having faith. When we give charity, we express our faith in two aspects. Firstly, we demonstrate our faith that God created the world and everything in it, therefore it is our duty to distribute God’s wealth appropriately. Secondly, we have faith that while we may be giving away our hard-earned money, we will not lack, but will ultimately gain.

When we give tzedakah, we quite literally “put our money where our mouth is.” We take the faith that is in our heart and the faith that we speak and preach about, and turn it into action. This also explains why the sages equate the giving of tzedakah with the fulfillment of all the commandments in the Torah. The act of giving takes the most fundamental concepts in the Bible – that God created the world and that God is involved in the world – and makes them real through our actions.
 
Moreover, God promises that there will always be poor in the land (Deuteronomy 15:11). This is because tzedakah is not just a physical solution to a social-economic problem; rather it is a spiritual practice, one that we will always be required to fulfill as an expression of our faith in God.

If defining tzedakah as an act of justice was not radical enough, the Bible provides another understanding of tzedakah, which turns the entire concept of charity on its head. Instead of seeing charity as an act that primarily benefits that receiver, Scripture teaches that philanthropic giving is an act that mostly benefits the giver. While many people respond to requests to give with a grudging heart, the Bible teaches that charity is actually a golden opportunity for the giver.

The Bible commands us to “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart.” And when we do so, “ . . . the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” Tzedakah is an act that boomerangs back upon the giver who receives even more than he or she has given in return. Moreover, the Jewish view is that wealth and poverty are like a revolving wheel. Those who are wealthy today might become poor tomorrow.

Therefore, when we give generously and with an open heart, we ensure that should we need it one day, the same generosity will be afforded to us. The Bible emphasizes this concept in Exodus 22:25, where we read, “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy . . .” The Jewish sages comment that God specifically says “my people among you” because we need to see ourselves as “one of them.” We need to understand that we could just as easily be in the shoes of the pauper and give as we would want to be given to.
 
Ultimately, the main reason to give generously is because the poor are not strangers but our brethren. As the sages point out, every time Scripture commands us to give to the poor, the word “brother” also appears. This teaches us that we must see the needy as our own family members. Just as we would never turn our backs on our loved ones, we must never close our hearts to those who are also the children of God.

We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18). When we love each other, we help each other, and by giving tzedakah lovingly, we bring great pleasure to our Father in Heaven. And we also help bring God’s kingdom ever closer into our corner of the world, one generous deed at a time.
 
In Genesis 2:3 we read that “God blessed the seventh day . . . because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” The English translation of the Bible reads simply enough, but the original Hebrew is confusing. The last phrase literally reads: “He rested from all that He created in order to do.” “He created” is in past tense, while “in order to do” is in future tense.

The Jewish sages explain that Creation is a two-phase process. First God created the basics. With what God originated, we, as His partners, are expected to participate in creating the rest. This understanding is critical. It underscores Judaism’s essential value of tikkun olam, of perfecting the world. According to Judaism, it is our responsibility — and privilege — to be God’s partners in making the world a magnificent place.
 
This concept defines the Jewish perspective on giving. When we are charitable, we are not doing someone else a favor. Rather, we are fulfilling our God-given duty and responsibility to distribute God’s resources. In Proverbs 22:22 (NKJV) we read: “Do not rob the poor . . .” How can someone rob the poor? Poor people don’t have anything to be taken from them.

The sages explain that when we withhold charity, we are robbing the poor of what truly belongs to them. God has entrusted us with what is essentially theirs. It is our duty to distribute it. If we fail to fulfill our obligation, it is as if we have stolen from those who are most needy.

This perspective also explains an otherwise difficult-to-understand verse in Psalm 145:16 where we read: “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” We read this knowing that there are millions of people around the world who are starving. The truth is that God opens his hand and there is plenty for everyone, but it is our responsibility to take what God has given us and open our hands to others. Then all will be satisfied.

The emphasis on our duty to give as an act of moral justice shifts the paradigm of philanthropy entirely. In this system, there are only givers. Even the poor must give. We do away with the notion of being a victim and focus entirely on the concept of becoming a provider. This ensures that the poor are cared for while dignity is preserved.
 
The main law that guides tzedakah is the biblical directive to contribute 10 percent of our earnings to charitable purposes. This law is derived from Scriptures that states: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.” While this commandment was written in agricultural terms, it has general significance: we are required to give away 10 percent of our earnings. This is the source of what has become known in Christian and Jewish traditions as “tithing.” We give away a tenth of what we have.

Judaism’s oral tradition explains that the average person must give away at least 10 percent, but not more than 20 percent so that the person should not come to neglect his or her own needs. However, the Jewish sages also recognize that while the poor are required to tithe what they have like everyone else, if a person is so impoverished that their basic needs are barely met, the 10 percent mandate is suspended. In addition, a person with unusual wealth may give away far more than 20 percent. Moreover, when we give charity as part of repentance or as part of a prayer to God, we may make an exception and give more than the suggested amount.
 
Another important idea that directs our giving is the old adage that charity begins at home. This means that a person is expected to provide for his or her family members before strangers. After family, we work out in concentric circles, taking care first of the poor of our community, then our city, then our country, and then the world. The exception is the poor of Israel, which is seen as the poor of our community even when we live outside of Israel, and consequently, this is placed as a higher priority in our giving.
 
In addition, Judaism recognizes that all giving is not the same. In fact, the sages list eight types of giving, from the least ideal to the most meritorious. The levels range from the lowest level, which is giving begrudgingly, to the highest level, which is enabling the poor to become self-reliant by giving them a job or some other means of supporting themselves.
 
Customs surrounding tzedakah include giving when taking on a spiritual pursuit like combating anger or having more faith, and giving before lighting Sabbath candles or performing other biblical commandments. It is common to give charity as an accompaniment to prayer so that a person may be healed, find a marriage partner, find a job, and so forth.
Tzedakah is also given as a form of repentance and is particularly emphasized during the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur. Finally, tzedakah is often made part of a daily spiritual practice. Whether we give a little or a lot, the goal is that we become givers at our core.
 
 
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein is founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. An Orthodox rabbi who lives in Jerusalem, he has authored 10 published books as well as many articles and commentaries for the national media. This content was originally published on the IFCJ site and is republished with permission from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
 
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Does this perspectve on tzedaka change the way you see charitable giving? Please comment below to share.
 
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