Charity
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A Blessing for Charity?
Dear Rabbi, Is there a brocha (a blessing to recite) for giving charity? At the moment I say “shekideshanu… vetzivanu letet tzdaka.” We do not make any beracha (blessing) on giving charity. All agree to this but there is discussion…
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Tzedekah/reason
Could you explain why Tzedekah is both a religious and a moral obligation for Jews. Thank you for your help. Much appreciated. Hayley Dear Hayley, All religious obligations are moral in Judaism and as such it is difficult to understand…
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Giving Loans
What is the Jewish view about loans to the poor or to the community? Lending money to someone in need, even without waiting to be asked, is the highest form of charity. A person who makes such a loan should…
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Charity to a Formerly Rich Person
How much charity must be given to a rich person who becomes poor? The Torah (Deut.15:8) speaks about providing a poor person with “what he lacks”. This implies, for example, that if he was accustomed to having a horse to…
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Charity in the Torah
Where does the Torah speak about giving charity? The Torah speaks about giving charity in Deut. 15:7ff (“If there will be a poor man among you… you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand toward your poor brother;…
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The Eight Levels of Charity
What are the eight levels of charity referred to by Maimonides? Maimonides lists the eight levels in descending order in Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 10:7-14: a) Giving a poor person work so he will not have to depend on charity b)…
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Tuition as Maaser
Is Yeshiva tuition admissible as a Maaser deduction? The consensus of most Poskim is that Maaser funds cannot be used for one’s children’s education.The Chofetz Chaim (Sefer Ahavas Chessed, Ch. 19) writes that it is prohibited because “it is like…