TZEDAKAH

Petra Hadžidaova
Jul 27
3 min read

Updated: Jul 28

Follow justice (tzedakah) and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 16: 20

INTRODUCTION

Many things in life are easier said than done, right? Sometimes I act myself watching all these different stories of acts of heroism and so forth. I marvel at their bravery and am caught in a hopeful wonder. ‘Would I do the same?’.

The bystander syndrome. In all honesty, I must have been at least once guilty of it, as I am sure the majority have. It is not always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes people lack the belief that they are capable and can make a difference.

The Hebrew word tzedakah speaks of doing the right thing, although in modern days it has been mostly connected to charity.

TZEDAKAH - DOING WHAT IS RIGHT

Do what is right and fair; that pleases the Lord more than bringing him sacrifices.

Proverbs 21:3 (GNT)

Doing what is right is at the epitome of pretty much all religions in the world, or it should be. The Hebrew word tzedakah means righteousness, justice. It speaks of doing the right thing. (2) It originates from the word tsadaq, which means rightness, justice. (3)

TZEDAKAH AND JUDAISM

Tzedakah is the closest Hebrew word to philanthropy. It is considered a form of social justice provided by the donor. (4) It can encompass either goods or services. In Judaism, for women, giving food takes precedence over giving money. Also, tzedakah has two aspects and requires the donor to share compassion and empathy along with money. (2)

In Judaism, it is common practice to give before prayer, and there are pushkes inside some Jewish homes. These boxes are dedicated to charity, and children are taught from early on to be charitable and give to the needy. They consider tzedakah a mitzvot, a commandment, and some say it is one of the highest forms alongside tefillah (prayer) and teshuvah (repentance). (5)

CHARITY, CHRISTIANITY, AND JESUS

While Jesus was most known for His miracles and teachings, His charity is well documented in the Gospels. In the Scriptures, John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” (Luke 3: 11 NIV)

Christians too, are called to be tzaddikim, that is, practitioners of righteousness (tzaddik for a man; tz’deket for a woman) (5). There is, though, a common opinion that it has to come from the heart. Many do not believe in giving under force and frown upon teachers of the law who almost force the money out of the pockets of their sheep.

CONCLUSION

Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for doing right. It means justice and righteousness. It is the act of charity, giving to the needy. In Judaism, it is considered a mitzvot, a commandment, and taught to children from their early age. We Christians, too, are called to be tzaddikim as Jesus Himself was known to be a very generous giver.