Thoughts on Tzedakah at this Season

 One of the most familiar prayers that we recite on the High Holidays is a poem inserted into the Musaf prayers known popularly by its opening words as “Unetaneh Tokef.” The poem describes the awesome atmosphere of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as days of judgment not only for all the inhabitants in the world, but even for the angels on high. The poet imagines, based on a Talmudic teaching, that on this Day of Judgment, a great book is opened before the Heavenly Judge as all of us pass beneath His staff. On this day it is determined who shall live and who shall die in the year ahead, he states. There follows a list of ways that one might meet one’s end as well as noting that at this time God determines whose fortunes will increase and whose will diminish, who will be raised to prominence and who will be brought low. We sing a chorus as the cantor chants this list, “B’Rosh Hashanah y’kateivun uv’Yom tzom Kippur yechateimun. On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.” Having completed this gruesome catalog, the poet goes on to a note of hope. He informs us that “Teshuvah, utefillah utzedakah ma’avirin et roa hagezerah.” Teshuvah (repentance or turning), tefillah (prayer or self-judgment), and tzedakah (righteousness, or justice) can transform the harshness of our destiny. (Following the translation and commentary in our Lev Shalem Machzor.) This prayer points to a process beginning with thoughts and words, and ultimately resulting in action. He teaches that we can transform our world when we go beyond “thoughts and prayers” and take concrete action to create a just world. Teshuvah and tefillah are just a beginning, tzedakah, acts of righteousness must follow.

 I certainly have written a lot about prayer over the past several years and I have mentioned frequently the concept of teshuvah, but I realize that I have said relatively little about tzedakah. Going back to Sunday school days, every week we were expected to bring some coins for “tzedakah” leading most of us to think of tzedakah simply” as “charity,” giving money to people or causes that we feel are deserving of our care. “Charity” derives from a Latin term “caritas” that the dictionaries explain as a term used by the Church for “Christian love,” love of God, love of others for the sake of God, God’s love for humankind, loving our fellow man because they are sons of God. As the term developed it came to take on a more generalized meaning of showing care to those for whom we feel this love. As Webster’s dictionary puts it, charity is “the kindly and sympathetic disposition to aid the needy or suffering.” This morphs eventually into the establishment of public institutions to care for such individuals. Thus we speak of “giving to charity” when we make a donation to these causes.

 “Tzedakah,” while it may lead to aiding the needy is more than charity. It comes from a different type of impulse. We read in last week’s parashah the commandment “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof.” Justice, justice shall you pursue. Tzedakah comes from the same root as Tzedek, justice, doing what is right. Those who practice tzedakah come to be known as Tzaddikim, righteous or just people. What I was taught in religious school was that whether or not one feels love, care, compassion for the needy or for those who are suffering as we should, the Torah calls on us to act and to provide for their needs nonetheless, out of a sense of justice and righteousness, It is the right thing to do.. Tzedakah is indeed part of the mitzvah of loving our neighbors as ourselves, but even if we fail to feel love for our neighbors, when they are in need we are called upon to demonstrate tzedakah as a matter of right and justice. It’s a mitzvah, a commandment.

 The Sages quote the prophet Hosea, “Sow tzedakah for yourselves and you will reap according to kindness (chesed).” They see tzedakah as a process through which the giver actually realizes that he takes away more from the experience of giving than he actually gives the person on the receiving end.

 Most of the mitzvot in the Torah are considered as separate acts that we perform. If I put on tefillin on Monday, that’s considered one mitzvah. If I do it again on Tuesday or Wednesday, each day it is reckoned as another mitzvah. This is true of most mitzvot, they are discrete acts, each receiving whatever divine reward or personal satisfaction comes from their fulfillment. But tzedakah is different. The mitzvah of tzedakah is cumulative. Each time we fulfill it we add to our tzedakah account as it were, it is a continuing mitzvah. Every time we open our hearts and hands to another person, we bestow upon ourselves a precious gift.

 As with all of the commandments in the Torah and the traditions taught by our ancient rabbis, so too the mitzvah of tzedakah has many detailed rules and regulations. In my library, I have a set of 13 volumes that deal with ethical teachings entitled “L’reiacha Kamocha” (Your Neighbor as Yourself). Each volume focuses on two or three ethical mitzvot and provides information on the fine points of observing that commandment along with illustrative stories. The last volume that appeared in this series deals almost entirely with the mitzvah of tzedakah. It is a heavy volume containing more than 350 pages on various aspects of this important mitzvah. The author, a Rabbi David Ariovitz, devotes fifteen detailed chapters to this subject ranging from who should receive tzedakah, what intention should the donor have when he gives, various methods of giving including the famous eight levels of giving outlined by Maimonides, culminating in the highest level which is to help a person become independent of charitable gifts.

The author lays down rules for those who collect tzedakah; what qualities should we look for in choosing such a person and what rules govern his behavior. Another chapter focuses on the question of from whom these collectors may receive tzedakah including consideration about gifts from non-Jews, contributions from questionable sources, and gifts from children, and from people whose mental capacities have become diminished. The author then writes of various causes that one may be called upon to support such as ransoming hostages or providing for a bride, as well as ritual gifts associated with the holidays such as ma’ot chitin before Pesach or machatzit hashekel at Purim time. This leads to a consideration of which funds take precedence. He addresses concerns about fraud by people claiming to collect for certain causes without appropriate documentation.

In one chapter he addresses the idea of tithing one’s income for tzedakah. While there are some who claim this a requirement from the Torah which we see the patriarchs fulfill, the general approach of the rabbis is to consider it simply a worthy custom though quite difficult for most of us to fulfill. However, those who have the means are urged to even go beyond one tenth and give a fifth if they are able. He considers appropriate blessings for the recipient of tzedakah to recite and also the proper behavior of one seeking such offerings. What occasions should prompt us to give tzedakah? The author lists a number of such times: for a birthday, a yahrzeit, in thanksgiving for a miracle, prior to leaving on a journey, at holiday times among others. There is a custom of giving tzedakah to a traveler and asking him to be an agent to deliver It to some worthy cause on his safe arrival at his destination on the theory that “shluchei mitzvah einan nizokim,” agents for a mitzvah are spared from harm. Many synagogues encourage small offerings each morning and evening during weekday services or on Torah reading days. There is also a custom of putting money in the pushke before lighting the Shabbat or Yom Tov candles. Tzedakah before the holidays is encouraged to help those in need to be able join in the celebration.

Of course, returning to where we began, this time of year is considered one of the most appropriate seasons for giving tzedakah. Giving generously during this month of Elul and between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are seen as opportunities to add to our merits during the season when we speak of God’s judgment for the coming year. Some congregations hold food drives at this time. On Yom Kippur we read from the book of Isaiah where he reminds us that fasting and prayer are not sufficient. We need to provide for the needy in our midst as well. He says that God considers that the true fast at this season. In some congregations I have served they would give out grocery bags on Rosh Hashanah for “Project Isaiah” and arrange for a truck from the local food bank to show up outside the building just before Kol Nidre to receive the bags that people had filled with donations of food. Mazon: a Jewish response to hunger, urges people to donate the money they saved by fasting on Yom Kippur to their efforts to combat world-wide hunger. Since people rarely invite the poor to join them at their festive meals as in times past, Mazon encourages a self-imposed tax of three percent of the cost of such festivities for weddings, bar and bat mitzvah parties and other such events to be donated to Mazon for distribution to food banks and various other causes combatting hunger around the world.

 Tzedakah is truly an important element of Jewish life and one that added to our efforts of teshuvah and our prayers, tefillah, on the holidays can make a difference not only for others but can transform our own lives. These three elements whether at this season or any season are foundations of true spiritual growth that we seek as we begin a new year.