Aug. 11, 2023

Redefining Charity: A Deep Dive into the Concept of 'Tzedaka'

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Season 5

What if your understanding of charity was radically redefined? What if, instead of being an optional act of sympathy, it was an obligation of justice? On today's episode, we dive into the concept of 'tzedaka', a term from the Torah that translates to justice and is often used to refer to charity. We peel back the layers of this Hebrew term to challenge the conventional definition of charity.

As we navigate the conversations of the Torah and its commentators, we probe deeper into the idea of each individual as the chairman of their own non-profit organization. We suggest that it is about giving and ensuring your funds are given to tzedaka with righteousness, making it a moral and financial obligation. Join us on this journey as we unravel our roles in the act of charity and reframe what it truly means to live a Jewish lifestyle.

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Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com



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Alright, just to kick things off, I want to let you guys know that I'm fundraising for a very important cause and now, truthfully, I'm not fundraising, I just meant to have that, hopefully grab your attention and to show you that for a lot of us not all of us, but when somebody says the word hey, can I have some Tadaka?

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They ask for money.

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Perhaps a lot of us put up a wall.

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We feel a little bit standoffish, it's uncomfortable.

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Here comes another rabbi-looking fellow asking for some more of my money.

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But this week's PowerSheet gives us a different approach to it and, truthfully, if you ever have stopped to examine the word that the torii uses for charity, you would find this.

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The word is tsiddaka, which comes from the word and is built on the root of tzedek, which, you may recall, means justice, and all of the great commentators they tell us that charity is not perhaps the right definition, for that gives off something that really is only somewhat of a nice idea.

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L'fnim mishurah sadin, as if from the bottom of my heart, I feel sympathy for you, so I'll give you, but tsiddak says the toro.

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This is justice, this is how things are supposed to be.

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And, honestly, when you open up the tira and you read the words that if you should find a poor person inside of your gates and your midst, seems like your own city, comes first.

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And the Gomorrah tells us this a certain pauper that you can help out, give him.

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Give him, says hundreds and hundreds of time, n'oson tithin, keep giving.

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Lo s'ameh says t'vabhchah, do not harden your heart, do not become like paro.

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Lo sikh bussidzchah, don't close your hand, two separate guns facing you.

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It is the same strict law, the toro, to give, not charity, but tsiddakah, for it's the basic law.

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Each individual obligated it's not a nice thing, but obligated to separate some money, to tie their money minimally 10%.

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And then perhaps we can refocus and redefine that.

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Every individual is the chairman of a non-profit organization that mice are fun, that account.

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You are a fundraiser, you are someone that is in charge of those monies and must see to it that they are given Bitsadak to tsiddakah with righteousness.

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You are all administrators of a chesedfun.

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This is an obligation that we have.

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It is part and parcel of the definition and lifestyle of a Jew.

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It is one of our moral, financial obligations to see to it that tsiddakah is done.