Tzedakah

The word tzedakah, often translated as “charity,” comes from the Hebrew root tzedek, meaning “justice.” Its current usage was developed by the early rabbis, who recognized that the distribution of resources that results from a free-market economy must be adjusted by other means to ensure a fair society. Tzedakah is an expression of justice rather than mercy; its purpose is to create a fairer distribution of resources. Doing tzedakah restores justice.1

• 1. Adapted from A Guide to Jewish Practice, Volume 1—Everyday Living. The Guide may be ordered from the Reconstructionist Press.