Charity is not the accurate translation of the Hebrew word “tzedakah”. In fact, there is no single English word which accurately captures what the word means. This is because ‘charity’ implies a charitable act, one where you choose to give and are not obligated to give. But nothing could be further from the truth as to what “tzedakah” is – it is an obligation, part of Torah law, as we read about in this week’s parasha.
So much so, that the Rambam brings two powerful examples of how giving tzedakah is something we are obligated to do. First of all, a person collecting for the community can force someone to give. You can’t force someone to do an act of volunteerism; that is charity. Tzedakah is an obligated, it is mandated. Secondly, even a poor person who lives off charity is obligated to give charity! Because it is not only something you can choose to do, but even if you don’t have, you have to give.
“Charity,” therefore, is not the word; it is probably something closer to “social justice” or “justice in society,” where we do acts that contribute in a positive way to the justness, fairness, righteousness of society.
This very dichotomy is in the word “tzedakah” – the word “tzaddik” is a person who is righteous, but it can also mean a person who is right. One the one hand it means right and just, and on the other hand it means a good, righteous act to do. That is what is at the core of justice – the right and just thing to do, but we have to be careful it doesn’t become self-righteous. Even if we are right about something and fighting for justice, we have also be aware that part of tzedakah is also about righteousness, something that builds society.
As we in Israel have been embroiled in how to move forward with the right balance in the justice system, may both sides be not only ‘right’ – and fighting as they see what justice is – but also act with righteousness – to act in a way that is building society and not in a way which is compromising it.
