Tzedakah

Value: Tzedakah

Tzedek means “justice”. Tzedakah comes from tzedek. Charity is a matter of the heart. Tzedakah is an obligation. Even if one doesn’t feel like it, Jews are supposed to give tzedakah. The Jewish tradition has rules for tzedakah. One is supposed to give at least ten percent of one’s income to tzedakah. No one is supposed to give more than thirty percent. These limits come from rules the Bible gives for Jewish farmers. One had to leave the corners of one’s fields, anything dropped and anything forgotten to the poor to harvest for themselves. One had to take a portion of one’s field and give it to God’s purposes, including the poor.

The prophet Hosea teaches, “ Plant tzedakah on your own and you will harvest kindness” (10:12). The midrash expands the idea by saying, “The poor person does more for the rich person than the rich person does for the poor.” (Exodus Rabbah 34:8)

Tzedakah Text: Bava Batra 10a

Rabbi Akiva had a Roman friend named Tinnius Rufus.

Tinnius Rufus said, “You have a God who loves people and who cares for their needs. Your

God wants the hungry to be fed and the homeless to be sheltered. God has the power to take care of all human needs. Why does God command you to share your wealth to take care of the poor rather than just making it good for all?” 1. If you were Rabbi Akiva, how would you answer your friend?

Rabbi Akiva answered: “The giving of tzedakah lets money become a means of creating holiness. God is the creator of both the rich and the poor. God wants all God’s children to help one another. The giving of tzedakah makes the whole world into one loving household.” 2. If you were Tinnius Rufus, what would you learn from Akiva’s answer?