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Monthly Theme Project | | In an effort to encourage people to do acts of chesed, tzedakah, and tikkun olam on a regular basis, the Areyvut site is now providing its visitors with a feature that will help put these ideals into practice.
Each month Areyvut will highlight a different theme, and provide weekly links to organizations that address each topic, encouraging individuals to explore the issue or volunteer their services.
Along with the organizational link there will be a practical suggestion as to what one can do to help, as well as a Jewish quote relating to the monthly theme. |
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ARTICLE ON TZEDAKAH
This article is co-sponsored by Learning to Give.
Tzedakah: Some Principles of the Jewish Way of Giving
By Ira Kaminow
Here's one way to think about tzedakah. A portion of our income is granted to us by God to distribute to the poor. In that way, the Almighty gives each of us the privilege of participating with Him as a junior partner in sustaining life. Allowing mortals to share in the divine process of sustaining life is a kindness of cosmic proportions. Perhaps that is one meaning of the description of the Almighty as "sustainer of life with kindness" (from the Amidah prayer). From this idea flow at least four more specific principles.
Principle 1. Tzedakah is a weighty responsibility that should be discharged with great care and thought.
"We must be more careful with the mitzvah of tzedakah than any other positive commandment…" Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor Chapter 10
Rabbi Yonah said it is not written 'happy is he who gives to the poor,' but 'happy is he who considers the poor, (Psalms 41:2) that is, one who thinks about the mitzvah of giving and how to perform it." Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 21b.
In the words of Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, "The Torah regards us as custodians of money for the poor. We can take chances with our own funds, but not those that belong to others." (Jewish Action, Winter 5760/1999, p. 59). Giving tzedakah should be neither thoughtless nor impulsive. The quality of our tzedakah is more important than its quantity. With that in mind, I suggest that donors take time to thoughtfully establish a tzedakah strategy. We should each decide how much tzedakah to allocate to each of various categories of recipients. How much to individuals, how much to tzedakah institutions, how much to religious schools; how much for local needs, how much for the Israeli poor, how much for organizations we are actively involved with, how much for organizations that have helped or educated us, how much for "cold-call" solicitations, etc. (For an illustration of an allocative strategy, see the suggestions of the Baltimore rabbinate by clicking www.just-tzedakah.org/guidelinesCommunity.asp.)
Planned tzedakah requires, as well, considerations of such other factors as the frequency of giving, the times of giving, and the method of giving. Maimonides, for example, advises that we give smaller amounts more frequently in order to train our hands in the mitzvah of giving. A description of Jewish tradition's approach to many of these issues can be found on our website. You can check it out by clicking: www.just-tzedakah.org/traditionHome.asp.
Principle 2. Do your part to be sure tzedakah goes where it should
R. Yosei said: "May my lot fall among those who collect tzedakah, and not among those who distribute tzedakah." On this Rashi explains that R. Yosei was concerned that he might give some supplicants more than necessary. Talmud Shabbat 118b.
A person should not contribute to a tzedakah fund unless he knows that its management is reliable and knows how to conduct the fund properly. Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 249.7
If a poor person who is a stranger says "I am hungry, feed me." we don't investigate whether he is a fraud but we sustain him immediately. If he were naked and said "clothe me" we investigate whether he is a fraud. But if we recognize him, we clothe him immediately in accordance with his position and we don't investigate him. Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 87.
Having set up a broad strategy, it's time to decide the criteria to use to select recipients. As a general matter, Jewish tradition encourages donors to investigate supplicants. Those who allocate community tzedakah funds must investigate recipients and must avoid giving to frauds. It is a violation of Jewish law to give to organizations that distribute communal funds if its managers are not competent to certify the worthiness of beneficiaries. There are a few exceptions. In emergency situations, as when an individual is starving, aid must be given immediately. Moreover, it is recommended by our tradition that one give at least a small amount to everyone who asks, whether Jewish or not.
But otherwise, donors should investigate prospective recipients of their tzedakah dollars. We should find out what the organization does with contributions and how it allocates revenues among its various programs. Many organizations are happy and proud to provide annual reports. Letters of approbation from individuals you trust can help, too. These letters should be reasonably current and should be made available to you on request. They should be read carefully to see exactly what is being said. American nonprofits (religious institutions like synagogues, exempted) are required to file annual information forms with the IRS. These are available online at www.guidestar.org. An excellent idea is to form a tzedakah club with friends, or through a synagogue or school. Members of tzedakah clubs can discuss tzedakah strategies and share the results of research into specific organizations.
Of course, no outsider will know as much about a tzedakah as an insider. And, even the best research will surely be subject to some error. But the donor's job is only to do the best he or she can. Then, trust that if we've done our part, the Almighty will do His, and direct tzedakah funds to the most worthy and needy recipients. That's what the partnership is all about.
Principle 3. We must be grateful to the poor who provide the opportunity to give tzedakah and who should therefore be treated with honor and respect.
R. Yehoshua taught: "More than the householder does for the poor, the poor do for the householder." Vayikra Rabba 34:8.
Whoever gives tzedakah to the poor with a sour expression and in a surly manner, even if he gives a thousand gold pieces, loses his merit. One should instead give cheerfully and joyfully, and empathize with him in his sorrow. Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor Chapter 10.
In Aiyshes Chayil we read: "She spreads out her palm to the poor and extends her hand to the destitute. She fears no snow for her household even though it is covered in scarlet wool." Rav Aharon Lewin interprets that to mean that the Woman of Valor welcomes the poor into her home even if they track snow over her finest upholstery. (Ha'Drash v'Ha'iyun, quoted in "The Torah Spring")
Tzedakah is a joyous and mutually beneficial partnership among the Almighty, the donor, and the recipient. The Almighty is the senior partner, the donor and the recipient are junior partners, as between the two junior partners, the recipient is the senior. Quite apart from the amount we are prepared to contribute, when collectors knock on our doors, we should strive to make them feel welcome, as we would any valued guest. We should offer them comfortable seats and refreshments. Telephone solicitors should likewise be treated with respect.
To take this idea to a very high level you can share yourself with the poor, Invite a poor person into your home for a Shabbat dinner, or to participate at a family simcha like a bar mitzvah celebration or wedding. Remember, the poor are offering you a chance to do the will of the Almighty.
Principle 4. Taking tzedakah to the next level: tithing.
Those who adopt the practice of setting aside one-tenth or one-fifth of all their earnings perform a much greater deed than those who give without assuming the obligation, even if the amounts in both cases turn out to be the same. The latter fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah only. The former, however, form a partnership with heaven, and so their commercial activities as such have the advantage of being a mitzvah. This applies especially when, at the time of assuming the ma'aser or one-fiftth obligation, the person had in mind that G-d would be sharing in all his under-takings. Chafetz Chaim, Ahavas Chesed end of chapter 20.
It is quite remarkable how a person's attitude to charitable causes changes when he has a definite sum allocated for charitable purposes. The money is no longer his; he ceases to be a donor and becomes an administrator; he no longer has to tackle the emotional problem of parting with his possessions; instead he can devote himself intellectually to the problem of priorities; and he has the scope to support enterprises which he regards as particularly important. Cyril Domb, ed. Maaser Kesofim: Giving a Tenth to Charity p. 12.
Jewish tradition encourages each of us to set aside a tenth (or as much as a fifth) of our income for tzedakah. This is known as a monetary tithe, or ma'aser kesofim. As the Chofetz Chaim notes, the process of tithing tightens the partnership bonds between the donor and the Almighty. The donor is a partner with the Almighty in sustaining the world. At the same time by tithing, the donor brings God in as a partner, so to speak, in his business affairs.
Ideally, the tithe is set aside in a separate fund. Once set aside, the money no longer belongs to the donor, but to the fund's beneficiaries. The donor becomes the trustee of the fund on behalf of the poor. That brings us full circle. The tzedakah money God gave us to distribute to the poor was never really ours in the first place. By placing it in a separate ma'aser kesofim fund, we're just acknowledging and reminding ourselves of that Truth.
Ira Kaminow is president of Tzedakah, Inc. Tzedakah, Inc. is a nonprofit organization devoted to enhancing the economic and spiritual levels of the mitzvah of tzedakah. Visit its website www.just-tzedakah.org. The site offers much information on Jewish perspectives of tzedakah and secular developments regarding charitable giving. The site offers a variety of creative ways to give tzedakah. Giving Certificates™ are like gift certificates, but the recipients allocate tzedakah funds to the needy instead of getting gifts for themselves. The Tzedakah Registry™ works like a gift registry in a department store, but allows those celebrating a simcha or commemorating a loss to ask people to contribute to designated Jewish organizations. Giving on Schedule™ is a program that makes regularly scheduled giving easy.
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