צְדָקָה
tsedaka
Tzedakah means righteousness, and it is the Hebrew word for charity
What it means
Tzedakah comes from tzedek, righteousness, fairness or justice, and it is the Hebrew word for charity. The Hebrew Bible uses tzedakah 157 times, typically for righteousness itself, and the sense of charity grew in the time of the Talmud.
When Israelis say it
Jewish tradition treats tzedakah as an obligation of justice, not a favor, and it does not depend on the giver's wealth: even someone who receives help is customarily asked to give. It can be money, time or advice. Maimonides, a medieval scholar, described eight levels of giving, from giving unwillingly to helping a person become self-sufficient with a job, a loan or a partnership. The plural is tzedakot.
Frequently asked questions
Is tzedakah the same as charity?
Close, but not the same. Charity is usually a voluntary kindness, while tzedakah is understood as an obligation of justice owed whatever the giver's means.
What are the eight levels of tzedakah?
A scale described by Maimonides that runs from giving unwillingly to helping someone become self-sufficient, with anonymous giving to unknown recipients just below that.