The recent Days of Awe , the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, were a time of introspection and serious reflection about the sins we committed last year, and our plan to be a better person this year (5786) and to help make the world better. There are many ways to achieve those goals . One way is to focus more on Tzedakah, which isn’t just about charitable giving; it is also about pursuing righteousness (i.e.the fulfillment of all legal and moral obligations).
In Biblical times, farm landowners were commanded to leave a portion of their crops for non landowners. Our Prophets criticized the Israelites for neglecting the poor. Rabbis during the Classical Rabbinic Judaism period(70 C.E. – 638 CE) called Tzedakah equal in value to all the other commandments. Moses Maimonides (1180 C.E.) in his Treatise on the Eight Levels of Charity emphasized the importance of anonymous, generous giving in helping those in need help themselves.
How much to give? The custom is 10% of your net income, after taxes. If you are not able to give that much or if you are able to do more, think of volunteering your time and effort( 2 – 4 hrs per week) to a charity/non profit. What organization(s) to give to? You probably know a few you feel passionate about. If not, check out Jewish Federation Cincinnati and its 50 affiliated agencies and congregations.
And let’s not forget to create a Legacy gift to insure the future of a Jewish Cincinnati.
By observing the commandment of Tzedakah, you can make a difference.
Bob Schneider
Cincinnati, OH
