What is the highest level of tzedakah?

In the Middle Ages, Maimonides conceived of an eight-level hierarchy of tzedakah, where the highest form is to give a gift, loan, or partnership that will result in the recipient becoming self-sufficient instead of living upon others.

Why is tzedakah important?

Tzedakah means ‘charity’. It refers to the Jewish obligation, or mitzvah , of giving to charity as well as supporting social justice. Giving tzedakah is one of the most important commandments for Jews. It is taught that Jews should give tzedakah because they want to, and not because they have to.

Where does tzedakah come from?

“Tzedakah” (pronounced suh-dack-uh) is the Hebrew word for “righteousness” or “justice.” The word relates to “tzaddik,” the name for a righteous Chasidic spiritual leader. Both words come from the Hebrew root word “tzedek,” meaning justice.

What is the Yiddish word for rabbi?

rebbe
Today, rebbe is used in the following ways: Rabbi, a teacher of Torah – Yeshiva students or cheder (elementary school) students, when talking to their teacher, would address him with the honorific Rebbe, as the Yiddish-German equivalent to the Hebrew word rabbi ( רַבִּי‎ rabi [ˈʁabi]).

What does tzedakah mean?

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Tzedakah. Tzedakah, is a Hebrew word literally meaning justice or righteousness but commonly used to signify charity, though it is a different concept than charity because tzedakah is an obligation and charity is typically understood as a spontaneous act of goodwill and a marker of generosity.

What does Tzedek mean?

Tzedek is derived from the word zakah, meaning clear or pure. From that root, it comes to mean right or just. As a verb, it is used to mean to act on someone’s behalf or to justify. One well-known cognate is tzadik , meaning a righteous or saintly person.

What is the plural of tzedakah?

The noun tzedakah can be countable or uncountable. In more general, commonly used, contexts, the plural form will also be tzedakah . However, in more specific contexts, the plural form can also be tzedakahs e.g. in reference to various types of tzedakahs or a collection of tzedakahs .

What is charity in Judaism?

The concept of charity does not exist in Judaism. The closest word to charity in Hebrew is tzedakah, but this is an inaccurate translation. Tzedakah actually means justice. Charity denotes giving when one is feeling inspired, generous, or ‘in the mood’ to give.