Charity is defined as “the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.” It is the bedrock of a compassionate society and without charity humanity would be in a lot of trouble. Following this logic, charity or Tzedakah is a response to crisis. Someone is hungry, feed them; a family is homeless, find them shelter; and the list goes on.
Judaism believes that Tzedakah is not a remedy for a societal ill rather an integral part of who we are.
This week, in addition to reading the weekly Torah portion of Mishpatim during synagogue services on Shabbat, we will read from a second Torah a paragraph titled Shekalim. In Holy Temple times there was an obligation for every Jew to contribute the value of a half shekel to a communal fund which paid for the daily communal sacrifices in the Holy Temple.
There were many wealthy philanthropists willing to foot the bill for the daily rituals in the Holy Temple, but G-d determined that everyone, rich and poor, young and old alike should financially contribute to this fund, to teach us the true meaning of Tzedakah.
Surely there is always a need for the big dollar donations and the gracious generosity of those blessed with wealth, but the mitzvah of Shekalim emphasizes that one need not have millions to be in a position to give or to be obligated to give.
Everything in reality is a giver and a receiver. We are constantly discovering how every detail of creation is part of an elaborate tapestry which depends on everything else to operate properly. The same is true with humanity, since absolute independence does not exist. In the bigger picture, all of creation is dependent on G-d, our Creator to constantly give us the ability to exist.
So the ritual of Tzedakah giving, the dynamic between giver and receiver, is the ultimate expression of our core reality and therefore a mitzvah incumbent on all and should be observed every day.
True, there are times when we are called upon to give large donations; a humanitarian crisis, an opportunity to enhance communal life or to express thanksgiving to G-d for a special occasion. But Tzedakah, in smaller amounts, must become a daily ritual, as a reflection of the constant Tzedakah dynamic playing out in our reality all the time.
So in addition to your recurring online donations and signing checks to your favorite organizations or causes at whichever frequency you choose or giving money to a homeless person you encounter on the way to work, be sure to have a dedicated Tzedakah box within reach so you can give every single day. On Shabbat and festivals when we are prohibited from handling money, the Tzedakah box will remind us to “give” in other ways, such as smiling to another, offering good advice or helping someone work through a dilemma.
Because giving should happen every day.