Siman 247

Tzedakah is one of the pillars of the world, as we learned in the Mishnah at the beginning of Avot: On three things the world stands: on the Torah, on the service, and on acts of kindness. And tzedakah is included within acts of kindness, except that acts of kindness are greater than tzedakah, as our sages, of blessed memory, said at the end of the fourth chapter of Sukkah. And it is a great merit for one whose heart's gates are opened to tzedakah and acts of kindness. And thus they said there: Lest you say, everyone who comes to spring forward may spring forward? The verse says: "How precious is Your kindness, O G-d," see there. And it is written: "Through kindness and truth iniquity is atoned." And a person should not say: What is this perutah that I am giving? Thus our sages, of blessed memory, said (Bava Batra 9b): "And he donned tzedakah like a coat of mail" – just as with this coat of mail, each and every scale joins into a large coat of mail, so too with tzedakah, each and every perutah joins into a large account.

One who gives tzedakah, as it were, makes the Holy One, Blessed be He, like a borrower, as our sages, of blessed memory, wrote there: What is the meaning of that which is written, "He who is gracious to the poor lends to Hashem"? As it were: "The borrower is a servant to the lender." They further said there: Anyone who gives a perutah to a poor person is blessed with six blessings, and one who appeases him with eleven blessings, and this is derived from a verse, see there. And anyone who pursues tzedakah—the Holy One, Blessed be He, provides him with money and performs tzedakah through them, and summons for him worthy people so that he may perform tzedakah with them. And regarding this it is said: "He who pursues tzedakah and kindness will find life, tzedakah, and honor" (ibid.). And anyone who is accustomed to performing tzedakah—he will have sons who are masters of wisdom, masters of wealth, and masters of Aggadah (ibid.). And this is derived from a verse, see there. And one whom Hashem has graced with wealth—behold, the wealth is not his, for he will die and leave his fortune to others. But tzedakah and gemilut chasadim are his forever and for all eternity. And this was the response of King Monobaz, who distributed his treasures to tzedakah, as is explained in the Gemara (Bava Batra). Therefore, it is a positive commandment to give tzedakah according to the reach of one's hand. And the Tur wrote that a person must be very careful regarding it, for it is possible that it may lead to bloodshed, like the incident involving Nachum Ish Gam Zu in Ta'anit (Ta'anit 21a), where before he could give to him—the man died of hunger. And many times we were commanded regarding it in the Torah with a positive commandment. And furthermore, there is a negative commandment for one who averts his eyes from it, as it is said: "You shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother. For you shall surely open your hand to him etc." Likewise: "Because of this thing Hashem your G-d will bless you etc." And anyone who averts his eyes from tzedakah is called "Beliya'al," and it is as if he performs idol worship (Ketubot 68a). And therefore it is written regarding tzedakah concerning one who does not wish to give: "Lest there be a base (Beliya'al) thought in your heart etc. and your eye be evil against your needy brother and you give him nothing." And regarding the Subverted City it is written, "base (Beliya'al) men have gone out" (Bava Batra 10a).

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And everyone who is careful with tzedakah, the tzedakah testifies regarding him that he is the seed whom Hashem has blessed, from the seed of our father Abraham, the master of kindness, as it is written: "For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children etc. to do tzedakah etc." And the throne of Israel is established only through tzedakah, as it is said: "In tzedakah shall you be established" (Isaiah 54:14). And Israel is redeemed only through tzedakah, as it is said: "Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and they that return to her with tzedakah." And it says: "Keep justice and do tzedakah, for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed" (Isaiah 56:1). And we say at the end of the fourth chapter of Sukkah: Tzedakah is greater than all the sacrifices, as it is written (Proverbs 21:3): "To do tzedakah and justice is more acceptable to Hashem than sacrifice." And everyone who does tzedakah and justice is as if he filled the entire world with kindness, as it is said: "He loves tzedakah and justice; the earth is full of the kindness of Hashem."

A person never becomes poor from tzedakah, nor does any evil thing or damage occur through it, as it is said: "And the work of tzedakah shall be peace." And anyone who has mercy on the poor—the Holy One, blessed be He, has mercy on him. A person should take to heart that just as he requests from the Holy One, blessed be He, at all times that He provide him his sustenance, therefore, just as he requests from the Holy One, blessed be He, that He hear his cry, so must he hear the cry of the poor (Tur). And furthermore: the Holy One, blessed be He, is close to hearing the cry of the poor, and in Job it is written: "The cry of the poor He shall hear." And also a covenant is made with them, as it is said: "And I shall hear, for I am gracious." Therefore, he must be careful regarding their outcry (ibid.). He should also take to heart that it is a rotating wheel in the world, and eventually a person will come to this state. And if he does not come to it— his son will come, and if his son does not come—his grandson will come, etc. (And I have received a tradition that through a person collecting tzedakah from others, through this he saves his generations from having to beg at doorways.)

A person should not say: How can I diminish my money to give it to the poor? For he must know that the money is not his, but rather a deposit in his hand to do with it the will of the Depositor, and His will is that he give tzedakah. This is the good portion that he will have from his money, as it is said: "And your righteousness shall go before you." Furthermore, the matter is examined and proven, that not only will he not lack because of the tzedakah he gives, but on the contrary, it will add to him wealth and honor, as it is written: "Test Me now with this, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room to suffice" (Malachi 3:10). And our sages, of blessed memory, said in Taanit (Taanit 9a): In all things it is forbidden to test the Holy One, Blessed be He, except for this, as it is written: "Test Me, etc." (Tur). And some say that this is only regarding maaser and not regarding tzedakah, for this verse refers to maaser and not to other tzedakah. But there is no correct reason to differentiate in this. And there is one who says further that it only refers to maaser of grain, as it is written: "You shall surely tithe [asser te'asser]" – tithe so that you shall become wealthy [tit'asher]. And this too is specifically if he gives specifically for the sake of wealth (see Pitchei Teshuva). In my humble opinion, there is no logical basis to differentiate in all of these. Moreover, the senses testify regarding many wealthy people that the more they give – the wealthier they become. And even though there are those whose wealth was lost – this is from "the hidden things that belong to the Lord our God," and certainly it is for their good, and in the majority of cases it is not so. Furthermore: tzedakah repels harsh decrees, and in famine it saves from death, as occurred to the Zarephathite woman (I Kings 17:13) because of a small cake she gave to Elijah the Prophet, see there. And so too for Jethro because he said: "Call him, that he may eat bread." And conversely, Ammon and Moab were distanced because of the withholding of tzedakah, as is written in the Torah: "Because they did not meet you with bread and with water" (Tur).

And one who swears not to give tzedakah—the oath does not take effect upon him, as he is one who swears to nullify a mitzvah. The Maharik (161) wrote that if it is found in a person’s ledger after his death that he consecrated money or vessels for tzedakah, but he did not hand them over to the public, and there are no witnesses to this, nevertheless the heirs are obligated to fulfill it. And we do not fear that perhaps he reconsidered; see there. And we compel regarding tzedakah. And even though its reward is stated alongside it, and a beit din does not compel regarding such, however, in tzedakah there is also a negative commandment as I have written (Tosafot Ketubot 49a). And there are additional reasons for this, and we also explained a reason for this in siman 240, section 6; see there.