The mitzvah
Tzedakah means giving money to people in need and to Torah causes. The word comes from tzedek, justice: in Jewish thought, what we have is entrusted to us, and sharing it is simply doing what is right.
The sources
“Do not harden your heart or shut your hand… open your hand to him.”
“Tzedakah is equal to all the other mitzvot combined.”
“Great is tzedakah, for it brings the redemption near.”
What you need
- A tzedakah box (any jar works)
- Coins
- A cause you trust
Step by step
- Put a tzedakah box somewhere you see every day — the kitchen counter is classic.
- Drop in a coin every weekday morning (not on Shabbat, when we don’t handle money).
- Many give before lighting Shabbat candles and before praying.
- When the box is full, give it to a cause you trust: someone in need, a local Jewish charity, a yeshiva, Israel.
- Give with a warm face and kind words — how you give matters too (Rambam, Matnot Aniyim 10:4).
- When you’re ready: many set aside a tenth of their income, called maaser.
Questions people ask
Is there a blessing?
No blessing is said for tzedakah. Just give.
Who comes first?
The tradition sets priorities: family in need, then your local community, then others; the poor of Israel are also given priority (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 251:3).
What is the highest level?
The Rambam lists eight levels. The highest is helping someone become self-supporting — a loan, a job, a partnership (Matnot Aniyim 10:7).
Your family’s way
How much and where to give are personal. A rabbi can help with maaser questions.
The inner dimension
Rabbi Elazar would give a coin to a poor person and then pray, citing the verse “I will behold Your face in righteousness (tzedek)” (Bava Batra 10a).
Find a jar, label it “tzedakah,” and put in a coin today.
These are general guidelines. Customs differ between communities, and for a personal question, ask a rabbi you trust.