What is tzedakah?

Tzedakah is usually translated as "charity," but its root meaning is "justice" or "righteousness." In Judaism, giving to those in need isn't optional generosity — it's an obligation, a way of doing what is right and just with what you have. Tzedakah includes giving money, but also time and support, and Jewish tradition treats it as one of the central pillars of a good life. The word itself reframes giving: not a favor you grant, but a duty you owe.

Why "justice" rather than "charity"?

The English word "charity" comes from a root meaning love or kindness — something you choose to give. Tzedakah comes from tzedek, justice. The shift matters: Judaism frames giving as setting the world right, an obligation on everyone (even those who receive tzedakah are taught to give something). It's not about feeling generous; it's about doing what's just.

Maimonides' levels of giving

Maimonides famously described eight levels of tzedakah, from lower to higher — for example, giving grudgingly is a lower rung, giving cheerfully is higher, giving anonymously is higher still, and the highest level is helping someone become self-sufficient so they no longer need to take (through a job, a loan, or a partnership). The "ladder" turns giving into a practice you can grow in.

In short: tzedakah means "justice" — giving to those in need as an obligation, not just generosity — and Maimonides' ladder ranks ways of giving, with self-sufficiency at the top.

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