By Leslie Srolovits
As Jews we know how important Tzedakah is. Kindness toward others is part of our DNA and the way we were raised by our parents. From an early age, I remember my father a’h always giving me a nickel or a dime to place in the pushkah of our shul. Now, more than ever, Jews around the world are making every effort to support our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel. As we read every Shabbos by mincha – me kiamcha yisroel, who is like your people Israel. We all extend ourselves financially for Israel and pray with all our hearts for God to intervene on many levels.
Some of us are overwhelmed with supporting shuls, schools, charities of all kinds and our families, who sometimes need additional financial assistance. Logic has always told me that family comes first, but I often wonder if there is a rule (halocha) within our religion when it comes to charity. To get a definitive answer, I reached out to my friend Sol, who is a much more learned person who learns Daf every morning at the Chabad shul that I attend daily. After speaking with Sol, I decided to dig deeper and ask more questions.
Aside from helping family, the poor of our own cities come first. The source for the principle that charity and assistance should start with the local community before extending help to others comes from the Talmud, Bava Metzia 71a, where it states: “עניי עירך קודמים” – “The poor of your city take precedence. I also learned that this concept is also codified in Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 251:3, which establishes the hierarchy of giving, prioritizing local needs before those of other communities. Additionally, the Rambam (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 7:13) reinforces this by explaining that one should first support family members, then the poor of one’s city, and only afterward extend charity to those outside the community. Giving charity anonymously, with dignity and respect, is considered one of the highest forms of tzedakah (charity) because it preserves the honor of the recipient and prevents feelings of shame or embarrassment. When a person in need does not know the identity of the giver, and the giver does not know the recipient, the act remains purely about helping, without personal recognition or social pressure.
In line with giving to a local charity, I came across a remarkable Rabbi that has devoted every breathing moment to helping more that 300 families within Southern Florida. Recently, I had the privilege to sit with Rabbi Yosef Raskin for over two hours, listening to how he started a charity and the type of assistance he provides families in need. Rabbi Raskin started JGifts.org, a remarkable charity that distributes gift cards to families in need, helps pay their bills, refers them to counseling if needed. As I spoke to the esteemed Rabbi it occurred to me that financial challenges within a family unit usually result in considerable friction between spouses. This is another aspect that JGifts.org assists with. Quite frankly, I couldn’t hold back tears listening to stories of families in Southern Florida living with the thought of how will I put food on the table for Shabbos or Yom Tov.
Now that I know the Jewish laws and the pecking order of Tzedakah, JGifts.org is a local community charity I really want to be a part of, especially as we approach Passover. We should all try our utmost to help make a poor families Passover nicer by making sure they have what they need for this upcoming Yom Tov.
