The Mitzvah of Giving CharityWhen we study the mitzvah of charity it is best to start with the sources in the Torah that discuss it. One primary source is in Devorim / Deuteronomy 15:7,8 and reads as follows:
When there will be a poor person among you, from your brothers, in your cities, in your land, that G-d gives to you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand from your brother who is poor. Rather, you shall open your hand to him- and [if necessary] loan him- the amount that he is lacking.
From this excerpt of the Bible we learn a number of important laws.
There is a priority by which a person should allocate charity funds. The closer a person is to you, the higher the priority. This is understood from the text which first says to give to your brother, meaning a relative, then to people in your city, then to people in your country. Sometimes a person can be close to you conceptually. For example, you may be part of the same club or synagogue, or be alumni of the same yeshiva. Often if there is a closeness of some sort there would be some sense of priority to see that person through difficult times. The Torah's directive to give charity is joined with the directive to provide a loan when necessary. Charity is not limited to a cash gift. The mitzvah of charity is to truly help the person, and have their best interests in mind. If an interest free loan will put them on their feet, that is certainly a greater form of charity. Likewise if it is possible to help them find a job, or give them charity in the guise of a thoughtful gift, that is considered the highest form of assistance. Even when actual charity is given, we categorize the beauty of the mitzvah by the extent that the recipient's dignity was preserved. For example, we prefer to give charity through a responsibly maintained charity fund, so that the donor and recipient are not aware of one another.
In fact when giving charity one must truly consider the recipients feelings. The Shulchan Aruch in Laws of Tzedakah (249:3)writes: A person should give charity with a smile and with happiness. He should empathize with the poor person and try to console him.
One way to avoid feeling powerful and becoming haughty is to remember the words of our sages (Koheles Rabbah 7:30) Poor and rich [were created by G-d]- So that they may benefit one another. In other words, a wealthy person is in the position to give because G-d so blessed him. A poor person is in the position to receive because that is where G-d placed him at the present time. The function of a poor person in the world is so that people may obtain spiritual merit by being compassionate and helping the needy in their time of need.
Our sages were very specific when they talked of the merit of this precious mitzvah. Solomon, for example stated: Charity saves from death. (Mishlei 10:2; 11:4). The talmud in fact relates that in a practical sense the merit of charity can help a person or his children in their time of need. At some critical moment G-d reminds Himself of the way he helped another person, and is thus favorably inclined to help him.
Thus we are told that it is a wise practice to contribute to a worthy charity before praying. As the Ramoh explains in the laws of Tzedakah (247:7): Just as person asks G-d to listen to his prayer, so should he listen to the cries of the poor. Financial success and need is a revolving cycle. If not he, then his son or grandson will be in need. He who has mercy on others will be granted mercy
One of the most common questions people ask is, "how much am I supposed to give to charity."
The Shulchan Aruch (249:1) states: A person should give a tenth of his earnings to charity. Less than that is improper.
Obviously, if one is truly struggling himself, he should not give one tenth. (Ramoh 251:3). Nevertheless, the one tenth rule, or maaser as it is often called, is an established practice amongst the Jewish people.
Interestingly, the mitzvah of observing maaser (or giving one tenth of one's earning to reliable charities) comes with a guarantee for wealth. In fact, according tot he Talmud (taanis 9a) it is actually permitted to test G-d to actualize this guarantee of financial blessing. That means that one can diligently observe maaser expecting to see G-d's Hand of blessing in his assets.
This is a very unusual approach to doing a mitzvah. Normally we are told "In this world you do the mitzvos, in the next world you reap the benefits." However, when the mitzvah of charity is observed according to the guidelines of maaser, G-d guarantees blessing in this world as well. The Radvaz emphasizes this when he writes: Testing G-d is only permitted by the mitzvah of charity. The reason that G-d provides such a guarantee is so that the poor should be provided for. (Responsa of Radvaz 3:441; aka 882)
One final thought about the power of this mitzvah. In the words of the Chofetz Chayim (ahavas Chesed, Chapter 20) Those who give charity get a merit, but their business is their's alone. One who gives maaser, however, has joined in partnership with G-d. The business itself becomes a mitzvah because all that he earns is partly for G-d. How beautiful is the portion of such a person.
How to calculate earningsThe basic methodology for observing maaser involves a five step process. It is best to allocate a notebook for this purpose. It is best to use one page per month, even if you will finalize your calculations after two or three months.
- Record all earnings on one side of the page for that month. Earnings include cash, bonus or tips that you earned, as well as gifts and interest dividends that you receive. Some people prefer to count interest earnings at the end of the year based on the tax forms that the banks issue in January. Such a method is fine as long as you decide what system you will be using.
- On the other side of the paper, record all expenses and losses that you incurred in earning the money that you earned. For example, office supplies, tools, phone calls, etc. are all business expenses that can be deducted from earnings. In fact, the laws of maaser are more generous in your favor than the tax code is. Unlike the tax code that does not allow a deduction for work clothing, in the laws of maaser such a deduction is allowed if the clothes are truly purchased only for one's line of work. For some this will mean that some of their dress clothes will count as deductions; for others this refers to their work clothes. In any case a legitimate business expense should be recorded and will be deducted from earnings.
- At the end of each month, add up your earnings and record the total towards the bottom of the page. Then add up your expenses and record the total. Subtract the expenses from the earnings and you will know how much your "maaser-able" income is for that month. Multiply that number by .10 and you will know how much maaser you should be giving for that month's earnings.
- You will now want to decide on the timing of your disbursements. Many people find that their earnings fluctuate from month to month. Such people prefer to finalize their calculations and do their disbursements on a quarterly cycle instead of monthly. This is fine as long as you have decided on a system. Also you may find yourself questioning different types of earnings or expenses, and will want to ask a reliable authority how you should include them in the calculation.
- Once you are ready to make your actual disbursements, you will want to choose and research different worthy causes and make checks out to them. We recommend that you write sizeable checks to handpicked charities, as office processing of donations seems to eat away at the effectiveness of small donations. Also, you will want to know what percentage of your donation actually reaches the stated mission, and how much is spent in getting it there.
For those who wish to sponsor this web site, or other Torah initiatives in Cherry Hill, checks can be made out to Teach (Torah Education at Cherry Hill) and mailed to 25 Lantern Lane, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002. We thank you for your generosity.
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