Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: General Rules
Charity: Family First
Give charity first to family; then to your local or nearby community. Only then may you give to remote communities, especially if the remote communities are in Eretz Yisrael.Who Qualifies To Receive Charity
A person may receive charity if he or she has so little money that he or she must worry about having sufficient funds to buy a non-luxury item.
An institution is needy if it does not have enough money for basic needs (repairing buildings, maintenance, utilities...).
There is no need to donate to people or institutions if their basic needs are covered.
Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Beggars
Charity to a Jewish Beggar for Himself
If a Jewish beggar asks for money for him/herself, and you know him/her to be needy, you should at least give something, but it does not need to be much.
Charity to a Beggar for Jewish Institution
If a beggar asks for money for a Jewish institution, you do not need to give.
Charity/Tzedaka: Assumed Beggar at Door
If someone knocks on your door and you assume that he or she is a beggar, you do not need to answer the door.
Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Purim
Charity on Purim
On Purim, give money to anyone who asks.
Note If for an institution, you are not required to give.
Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Poor Brides/Hachnasat Kalla
Charity/Tzedaka: Poor Brides (Hachnasat Kalla): How Much
Hachnasat kalla means helping a poor woman pay the expenses to hold a wedding and set up a household for married life. The minimum required is enough so that she is not embarrassed. It does not include paying for an opulent wedding. There is not any absolute amount of money that you should give per guest and even the quality of the food, decorations, and any entertainment are dependent on the individual.
Hachnasat Kalla for Women and Men
Hachnasat kallaalso applies to a poor man who needs money to pay the expenses to get married.
Charity/Tzedaka: To Whom: Non-Sectarian Causes
Non-Sectarian Causes and Ma'aser
You may give small amounts of money or goods to a non-sectarian charity (hospital, school, etc., that is not affiliated with any religion other than Judaism) and it will count as part of your charity (ma'aser). You may give large amounts of money to non-sectarian charities, but you should not count it as part of your ma'aser.Give charity on 10\% of your net, after-tax income or received gifts of money (cash, checks, or equivalent).
Items or Material Gifts
If you receive or inherit items or material gifts that you use, you do not need to give charity from their value. If the items or material gifts were intended for sale and you sold them, give to charity 10\% of the money you receive.
Trusts, Funds, and Securities
A trust or other inherited or gifted fund does not pay charity on money it receives or earns. Only the recipients give charity, when get they get any money.
If the trusts or funds are intended for sale and you sold them, pay 10\% on the value you received to charity.
You do pay 10\% on inherited or gifted securities once you have inherited them, even if you do not intend to sell them. If you do not have enough cash to give 10\% of the securities' value, you should sell 10\% and give that money to charity. The remaining securities do not incur a requirement of owing charity, whether they increase or decrease in value in the future.
Heir: Charity on Money or Property for Sale
You must give to charity 10\% of the value of an inheritance or gift of:
- Money, and
- Property, including a building or house, that you to sell (but not if you will keep or use it for yourself, such as to live in). If you do not have enough cash to pay 10\% of the building's value, you may pay it off over time.
The Torah requires everyone to give charity (tzedaka), and even people who are so poor that they receive charity must also give something to charity. The giving of charity engenders consideration for people who have less than we do.
Note You may only use tzedaka (ma'aser) money to buy seforim that are not commonly found in Jewish homes; you may not use this money to buy a siddur, chumash, or Talmud.