Today’s daf TB 49 teaches that tzedakah is one of the foundations of a spiritual life. Sefaria translates the Hebrew word tzedakah as charity [1]. This translation doesn’t adequately plumbs the meaning of this value concept. Danny Siegel has been a friend and my Tzedakah rebbe for over 40 years. He clearly explains the difference between charity, philanthropy, and tzedakah.
“Charity” is derived from the
Latin root caritas, meaning love,
dearness, fondness.
“Philanthropy” comes from a
combination of two Greek roots, philia,
meaning love, and anthropos, meaning
man.
“Tzedakah-צדקה is derived from the Hebrew root צדק tzedek meaning justice, that which is right, as related to the word, צדיק Tzadik a person who lives according to tzedakah and -and upright, giving life.
“Let us compare the implications of these terms. Charity and philanthropy, though they have been stripped to a bare meaning of the giving of money, originally indicated acts of love, actions motivated by an inner caring for others. Tzedakah includes this feeling, of course, but goes further, superseding the immediate moods of the individual and demanding that-even if you’re not in a particular loving mood-the obligation, the Mitzvah, still requires us to give.”[2]
Rabbi Elazar and the sages teach us the importance of tzedakah. In God’s eyes living a tzedakah lifestyle is preferable than offering up the sacrifices. This is an amazing statement considering how much time we have already spent learning about the Passover and Yom Kippur sacrifices which have not been offered since the destruction of the second Temple. Even most of the tannaim and all of the amoraim who discuss every aspect of the sacrifices never experienced it in real life.
“Rabbi
Elazar said: One who performs acts of tzedakah[3]
is greater than one who sacrifices all types of offerings, as it
is stated: “To perform tzedakah and
justice is more acceptable to the Lord than an offering” (Proverbs 21:3),
including all types of offerings. And Rabbi Elazar said: Acts of kindness,
assisting someone in need, are greater than tzedakah, as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to tzedakah, and reap according to kindness
(hesed-חֶסֶד)” (Hosea 10:12). This means: If a person sows, it is uncertain
whether he will eat or whether he will not eat,
since much can go wrong before the seed becomes food. However, if a person
reaps, he certainly eats. In this verse, tzedakah is likened to sowing, while acts of kindness are likened
to reaping.
“And Rabbi Elazar said: The reward for tzedakah is paid from Heaven only in accordance with the
kindness and generosity included therein and in accordance with the
effort and the consideration that went into the giving. It is not merely in
accordance with the sum of money, as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves
according to tzedakah, and reap according
to kindness.”
“The Sages taught that acts of kindness (גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים) are superior
to tzedakah in three respects: Tzedakah can be performed only with one’s
money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with his
person (for example, volunteer work-gg)
and with his money. Tzedakah
is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are performed both
for the poor and for the rich (for
example, you could comfort the mourner who happens to be rich-gg). Tzedakah is given to the living,
while acts of kindness are performed both for the living and for the
dead (burying the dead whether the
deceased was rich or poor doesn’t matter and is an act of hesed-gg).
“And Rabbi Elazar said: Anyone who performs tzedakah and justice is considered as though he filled the
whole world in its entirety with kindness, as it is stated: “He loves tzedakah and justice; the earth is full
of the kindness of the Lord” (Psalms 33:5). Lest you say that anyone who
comes to leap and perform an act of kindness may simply leap and do
so without scrutiny, the verse states: “How precious is your kindness, O
God” (Psalms 36:8). It is a precious and rare occurrence to perform an act
of kindness properly. One might have thought that even a God-fearing
individual does not always encounter the opportunity to perform acts of
kindness. Therefore, the verse states: “But the kindness of the Lord is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him” (Psalms 103:17)”
If you really want to live a spiritual life be on the
lookout for opportunities of tzedakkah
and hesed and then give of yourself
without hesitation.
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