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Share- Tzedakah:צְדָקָה - "righteousness," from the Hebrew צדק meaning "right, just"
- Charity: from the Latin caritas, "dearness." From the King James Bible dictionary: "...In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men..."
- Mutual aid: "Mutual aid is collective coordination to meet each other's needs, usually from an awareness that the systems we have in place are not going to meet them... There is nothing new about mutual aid - people have worked together to survive for all of human history... [But]as people were forced into systems of wage labor and private property, and wealth became increasingly concentrated, our ways of caring for each other have become more and more tenuous.
Mutual aid projects depart from the charity model in crucial ways. Most mutual aid projects are volunteer-based and avoid the careerism, business approach and charity model of nonprofits. Mutual aid projects strive to include lots of people, rather than just 'experts' or 'professionals.'" - Dean Spade, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) [2020]
Begging was not considered shameful up to the 18th century. Social techniques and institutions for charitable purposes emerged in Jewish communities at a very early period. As Jews became increasingly concentrated in towns, in an environment of fierce rejection and hostility, Jewish feelings of solidarity and readiness to help their needy members correspondingly strengthened and broadened. The instability of the Jewish economic position in many countries throughout generations, and insecurity of property ownership and residence during the innumerable persecutions, massacres, and expulsions to which Jews were subjected, made the rich Jew of today a likely candidate for charity tomorrow, or the reverse. [...]
(א) כָּל עִיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּבִין לְהַעֲמִיד מֵהֶם גַּבָּאֵי צְדָקָה אֲנָשִׁים יְדוּעִים וְנֶאֱמָנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מַחְזִירִין עַל הָעָם מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וְלוֹקְחִין מִכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מַה שֶּׁהוּא רָאוּי לִתֵּן וְדָבָר הַקָּצוּב עָלָיו. וְהֵן מְחַלְּקִין הַמָּעוֹת מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וְנוֹתְנִין לְכָל עָנִי וְעָנִי מְזוֹנוֹת הַמַּסְפִּיקִין לְשִׁבְעָה יָמִים. וְזוֹ הִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת קֻפָּה:
(ב) וְכֵן מַעֲמִידִין גַּבָּאִין שֶׁלּוֹקְחִין בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם מִכָּל חָצֵר וְחָצֵר פַּת וּמִינֵי מַאֲכָל אוֹ פֵּרוֹת אוֹ מָעוֹת מִמִּי שֶׁמִּתְנַדֵּב לְפִי שָׁעָה. וּמְחַלְּקִין אֶת הַגָּבוּי לָעֶרֶב בֵּין הָעֲנִיִּים וְנוֹתְנִין לְכָל עָנִי מִמֶּנּוּ פַּרְנָסַת יוֹמוֹ. וְזֶהוּ הַנִּקְרָא תַּמְחוּי:
(ג) מֵעוֹלָם לֹא רָאִינוּ וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ בְּקָהָל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵין לָהֶן קֻפָּה שֶׁל צְדָקָה. אֲבָל תַּמְחוּי יֵשׁ מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ בּוֹ וְיֵשׁ מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁלֹּא נָהֲגוּ בּוֹ. וְהַמִּנְהָג הַפָּשׁוּט הַיּוֹם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ גַּבָּאֵי הַקֻּפָּה מַחְזִירִין בְּכָל יוֹם וּמְחַלְּקִין מֵעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת לְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת: [...]
(ה) הַקֻּפָּה אֵינָהּ נִגְבֵּית אֶלָּא בִּשְׁנַיִם שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים שְׂרָרָה עַל הַצִּבּוּר בְּמָמוֹן פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם. וּמֻתָּר לְהַאֲמִין לְאֶחָד הַמָּעוֹת שֶׁל קֻפָּה. וְאֵינָהּ נֶחְלֶקֶת אֶלָּא בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא כְּדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת. שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים לְכָל אֶחָד דֵּי מַחֲסוֹרוֹ לְשַׁבָּת. והַתַּמְחוּי נִגְבֶּה בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה שֶׁאֵינוֹ דָּבָר קָצוּב. וּמִתְחַלֵּק בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה:
(1) In every city where Jews live, they are obligated to appoint faithful, men of renown as trustees of a tzedakah fund. They should circulate among the people from Friday to Friday and take from each person what is appropriate for him to give and the assessment made upon him. They then allocate the money from Friday to Friday, giving each poor person sufficient food for seven days. This is called the kupah.
(2) Similarly, we appoint trustees who take bread, different types of food, fruit, or money from every courtyard from those who make a spontaneous donation and divide what was collected among the poor in the evening, giving each poor person sustenance for that day. This is called thetamchui.
(3) We have never seen nor heard of a Jewish community that does not have a kupah for charity. A tamchui, by contrast, exists in some communities, but not in others. The common practice at present is that the trustees of the kupah circulate [among the community and collect] every day and divide [the proceeds] every Friday. [...]
(5) [Money for] the kupah should be collected only by two people together [...] It is permitted to entrust the money of the kupah to one person, but [the funds] should not be distributed by less than three trustees, because [the allocation] is comparable to a judgment concerning financial matters, since each person is given his needs for that week. [Donations for] the tamchui should be collected by three - because it does not involve a fixed amount - and it is distributed by three.
(ו) עָנִי שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ וְאָמַר רָעֵב אֲנִי הַאֲכִילוּנִי אֵין בּוֹדְקִין אַחֲרָיו שֶׁמָּא רַמַּאי הוּא אֶלָּא מְפַרְנְסִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד.
(6)When a poor person whose identity is unknown says: "I am hungry, provide me with food," we do not investigate whether he is a deceiver. Instead, we provide him with sustenance immediately.
(יג) מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מְזוֹן שְׁתֵּי סְעֻדּוֹת אָסוּר לוֹ לִטּל מִן הַתַּמְחוּי. הָיוּ לוֹ מְזוֹן אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה סְעֻדּוֹת לֹא יִטּל מִן הַקֻּפָּה. [...]
(יד) עָנִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ וְיֵשׁ לוֹ חָצֵר וּכְלֵי בַּיִת אֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ לוֹ כְּלֵי כֶּסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב אֵין מְחַיְּבִין אוֹתוֹ לִמְכֹּר אֶת בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶת כְּלֵי תַּשְׁמִישׁוֹ אֶלָּא מֻתָּר לִקַּח. וּמִצְוָה לִתֵּן לוֹ. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בִּכְלֵי אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה וּמַלְבּוּשׁ וּמַצָּעוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ כְּלֵי כֶּסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב כְּגוֹן מִגְרֶדֶת אוֹ עֵלִי וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן מוֹכְרָן וְלוֹקֵחַ פָּחוֹת מֵהֶן.
(13)When a person has enough food for two meals, it is forbidden for him to take from the tamchui. When he has enough food for fourteen meals, he should not take from the kupah. [...]
(14) When a poor person is in need, but owns a courtyard and household utensils - even silver and golden utensils - we do not obligate him to sell his house and his personal possessions. Instead, he is permitted to accept [charity] and it is a mitzvah to give him.
When does the above apply? With regard to eating utensils, drinking utensils, clothing, bedding, and the like. If, however, he owns a golden comb or pestle or the like, he should sell them and buy less valuable ones. [....]
כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִטּל וּמְרַמֶּה אֶת הָעָם וְנוֹטֵל אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לַבְּרִיּוֹת. וַהֲרֵי הוּא בִּכְלַל (ירמיה יז ה) "אָרוּר הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בָּאָדָם". וְכָל מִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִטּל וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִחְיוֹת אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נוֹטֵל כְּגוֹן זָקֵן אוֹ חוֹלֶה אוֹ בַּעַל יִסּוּרִין וּמֵגִיס דַּעְתּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹטֵל הֲרֵי זֶה שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים וּמִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וְאֵין לוֹ בְּצַעֲרוֹ אֶלָּא חַטָּאוֹת וַאֲשָׁמוֹת. וְכָל מִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִטּל וְצִעֵר וְדָחַק אֶת הַשָּׁעָה וְחָיָה חַיֵּי צַעַר כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַטְרִיחַ עַל הַצִּבּוּר אֵינוֹ מֵת מִן הַזִּקְנָה עַד שֶׁיְּפַרְנֵס אֲחֵרִים מִשֶּׁלּוֹ. וְעָלָיו וְעַל כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה נֶאֱמַר (ירמיה יז ז) "בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיהוה": סְלִיקוּ לְהוּ הִלְכוֹת מַתְּנוֹת עֲנִיִּים בְּסִיַעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא
19. Any person who does not need to take and deceives the people and takes will not reach old age and die until he requires assistance from people at large [i.e., they will end up needing charity.] [...]
[Conversely,] anyone who needs to take [charity] and cannot exist unless he takes, e.g., an elderly man, sick, or beset by afflictions, but is proud and does not take is considered as a murderer. He is liable for his soul and all that he has earned through his hardship is sin and guilt.
But anyone who needs to take [charity], but causes himself affliction and temporarily constrains himself and lives a life of difficulty so that he will not overburden the community will not reach old age and die before he provides sustenance for others from his own means. [i.e. they will be rewarded with resources, which they will then redistribute].
לְפִי מַה שֶּׁחָסֵר הֶעָנִי אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לִתֵּן לוֹ. אִם אֵין לוֹ כְּסוּת מְכַסִּים אוֹתוֹ. אִם אֵין לוֹ כְּלֵי בַּיִת קוֹנִין לוֹ. אִם אֵין לוֹ אִשָּׁה מַשִּׂיאִין אוֹתוֹ. וְאִם הָיְתָה אִשָּׁה מַשִּׂיאִין אוֹתָהּ לְאִישׁ. אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל זֶה הֶעָנִי לִרְכֹּב עַל הַסּוּס וְעֶבֶד רָץ לְפָנָיו וְהֶעֱנִי וְיָרַד מִנְּכָסָיו קוֹנִין לוֹ סוּס לִרְכֹּב עָלָיו וְעֶבֶד לָרוּץ לְפָנָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו ח) "דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ". וּמְצֻוֶּה אַתָּה לְהַשְׁלִים חֶסְרוֹנוֹ וְאֵין אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְעַשְּׁרוֹ:
We are commanded to give a poor person according to what he lacks. If he lacks clothes, we should clothe him. If he lacks household utensils, we should purchase them for him. If he is unmarried, we should help him marry. And for an unmarried woman, we should find a husband for her.
Even if the personal habit of this poor person was to ride on a horse and to have a servant run before him and then he became impoverished and lost his wealth, we should buy a horse for him to ride and a servant to run before him. [This is implied by Deuteronomy 15:8 which] speaks [of providing him with] "enough to [fill the] lack that he feels." You are commanded to fill his lack, but you are not obligated to enrich him.
הרוצה לזכות לעצמו יכוף יצרו הרע וירחיב ידו וכל דבר שהוא לשם שמים יהיה מהטוב והיפה. אם בנה בית תפלה יהיה נאה מבית ישיבתו. האכיל רעב יאכיל מהטוב והמתוק שבשולחנו. כיסה ערום יכסה מהיפה שבכסותו. הקדיש דבר יקדיש מהיפה שבנכסיו וכן הוא אומר כל חלב ליהוה:
He who wishes to be deserving of divine reward, shall conquer his evil inclinations and open wide his hand, and everything [done or given] in the name of Heaven shall be of the best and the finest. If he build a house of worship, let it be more beautiful than his dwelling; if he feed a hungry one, let him give him to eat of the best and the sweetest on his table; if he clothe one naked, let him clothe him with one of his finest garments; if he consecrate anything, let him consecrate from the best of his property; and so, too, the Bible says: "All the fat is YHVH's" (Lev. 3:16)
(ה) בָּא הֶעָנִי וְשָׁאַל דֵּי מַחֲסוֹרוֹ וְאֵין יַד הַנּוֹתֵן מַשֶּׂגֶת נוֹתֵן לוֹ כְּפִי הַשָּׂגַת יָדוֹ וְכַמָּה עַד חֲמִישִׁית נְכָסָיו מִצְוָה מִן הַמֻּבְחָר. וְאֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה בִּנְכָסָיו בֵּינוֹנִי. פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן עַיִן רָעָה. וּלְעוֹלָם לֹא יִמְנַע עַצְמוֹ מִשְּׁלִישִׁית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשָׁנָה. וְכָל הַנּוֹתֵן פָּחוֹת מִזֶּה לֹא קִיֵּם מִצְוָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ עָנִי הַמִּתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה חַיָּב לִתֵּן צְדָקָה לְאַחֵר:
[...]
(ז) מְפַרְנְסִין וּמְכַסִּין עֲנִיֵּי עַכּוּ''ם עִם עֲנִיֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי דַּרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. וְעָנִי הַמְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים אֵין נִזְקָקִין לוֹ לְמַתָּנָה מְרֻבָּה אֲבָל נוֹתְנִין לוֹ מַתָּנָה מֻעֶטֶת. וְאָסוּר לְהַחֲזִיר אֶת הֶעָנִי שֶׁשָּׁאַל רֵיקָם וַאֲפִלּוּ אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לוֹ גְּרוֹגֶרֶת אַחַת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים עד כא) "אַל יָשֹׁב דַּךְ נִכְלָם": [...]
(ט) עָנִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לִקַּח צְדָקָה מַעֲרִימִין עָלָיו וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ לְשֵׁם מַתָּנָה אוֹ לְשֵׁם הַלְוָאָה. וְעָשִׁיר הַמַּרְעִיב אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְעֵינוֹ צָרָה בְּמָמוֹנוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא יִשְׁתֶּה אֵין מַשְׁגִּיחִין בּוֹ:
(י) מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לִתֵּן צְדָקָה אוֹ שֶׁיִּתֵּן מְעַט מִמַּה שֶּׁרָאוּי לוֹ. בֵּית דִּין כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ וּמַכִּין אוֹתוֹ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן מַה שֶּׁאֲמָדוּהוּ לִתֵּן. וְיוֹרְדִין לִנְכָסָיו בְּפָנָיו וְלוֹקְחִין מִמֶּנּוּ מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לוֹ לִתֵּן. וּמְמַשְׁכְּנִין עַל הַצְּדָקָה וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּעַרְבֵי שַׁבְּתוֹת:
(5) When a poor person comes and asks for his needs to be met and the giver does not have the financial capacity, he should give him according to his financial capacity.
How much? The most desirable way of performing the mitzvah is to give one fifth of one's financial resources. Giving one tenth is an ordinary measure. Giving less [than that] reflects parsimony.
A person should never refrain from giving less than a third of a shekel a year. A person who gives less than this has not fulfilled the mitzvah. Even a poor person who derives his livelihood from charity is obligated to give charity to another person. [...]
(7) We provide sustenance and clothing for the poor of the gentiles together with the poor of the Jewish people as an expression of the ways of peace. When a poor person begs from door to door, we do not give him a large gift. Instead, we give him a small gift.It is forbidden to turn away a poor person who asks [for charity] empty-handed. Even giving him one fig [is sufficient], as [Psalms 74:21] states: "Let not the dejected turn away in shame." [...]
(9) When a poor person does not desire to take charity, we trick him and give it to him as a present or as a loan. When a rich man starves himself, because he is miserly with his money, using it for neither food nor drink, we do not pay any attention to him.
(10) When a person does not want to give charity or desires to give less than what is appropriate for him, the court should compel him and give him stripes for rebellious conduct until he gives the amount it was estimated that he should give. We take possession of his property when he is present and expropriate the amount that is appropriate for him to give. We expropriate property for the sake of tzedakah even on Fridays.
"This is a Jewish community group where social and material support, professional and financial advice, resources, crowdfunding campaigns and housing support can be requested and offered. This is a response to the lackluster material support networks in progressive Jewish communities when my friends or I have needed their help.
the café is a community space, a social and arts space, and somewhere to get delicious vegan jewish food. our hours are afternoon and late-nite, and it is a dry all-ages space which doesn’t serve alcohol.
the pink peacock operates with a non-hierarchical structure. there are no owners, bosses or managers: the café is governed exclusively by its workers and community members, and every decision is made by consensus.