Tzedakah

Common card · No. 307708

Tzedakah (Hebrew: צְדָקָה ṣədāqā, [ts(e)daˈka]) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify charity. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically understood as a spontaneous act of goodwill and a marker of generosity; tzedakah is an ethical obligation, and it is not properly "charity", as with Christendom, but a way to empower poor people to support themselves, helping them in developing their talents and skills. The Medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides as well as the 16th century Jewish legal scholar Joseph Caro dedicated sections of their books on Jewish law (respectively, The Code of Maimonides and Shulchan Arukh) to discussions of charity, indicating the importance of this particular mitzvah to Jewish faith practices and tradition. Tzedakah (Tzedaka) refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just, which Judaism emphasizes as an important part of living a spiritual life. Unlike...

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