07-20-2009, 01:40 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-20-2009, 01:58 AM by Director Michael.)
"Tzedakah" is the word in Hebrew for one of the Jewish commandments. The Rebbe explains the meaning of this commandment in Likkutei Sichot, Vol. II, pp. 409-411 (edited slightly here from the translation by Sichos in English):
"Charity" commonly means gratuitous benefactions for the poor [a dictionary definition]. The giver of charity is a benevolent person, giving when he need not. He does not owe the poor person(s) anything, but gives because of his generosity.
"Tzedakah" has a completely opposite meaning. Instead of connoting benevolence, it is the idea of justice - that it is only right and just that one gives [something as] tzedakah. There are two reasons for this:
1) A person is obligated to give to another person, for the money is not his own. G-d has given that money to him on trust, for the purpose of giving it to other people.
2) G-d is not beholden to man, yet gives him what he needs. A Jew must act in the same way, indeed is obligated to: he must give to other people although not beholden to them ... because he has transcended his natural instinct and given when not beholden
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Apart from this the Rebbe told a CNN reporter in '91, as a message to the world, “Moshiach is ready to come now, we all must only do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness.”
Gifts to other causes, such as funds for sensible and proper management of the environment, are within the category of the obligation for "yishuv olom" - establishing a healthy and properly functioning natural and societal environment for human beings in the world (the "olom"), because this helps to fulfill G-d's desire for mankind.
"Charity" commonly means gratuitous benefactions for the poor [a dictionary definition]. The giver of charity is a benevolent person, giving when he need not. He does not owe the poor person(s) anything, but gives because of his generosity.
"Tzedakah" has a completely opposite meaning. Instead of connoting benevolence, it is the idea of justice - that it is only right and just that one gives [something as] tzedakah. There are two reasons for this:
1) A person is obligated to give to another person, for the money is not his own. G-d has given that money to him on trust, for the purpose of giving it to other people.
2) G-d is not beholden to man, yet gives him what he needs. A Jew must act in the same way, indeed is obligated to: he must give to other people although not beholden to them ... because he has transcended his natural instinct and given when not beholden
--------------------
Apart from this the Rebbe told a CNN reporter in '91, as a message to the world, “Moshiach is ready to come now, we all must only do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness.”
Gifts to other causes, such as funds for sensible and proper management of the environment, are within the category of the obligation for "yishuv olom" - establishing a healthy and properly functioning natural and societal environment for human beings in the world (the "olom"), because this helps to fulfill G-d's desire for mankind.