The charity that is given from the more fortunate to the less fortunate establishes a relationship between 'giver' and 'receiver' and ultimately reveals a deep bond between the two 'owners'—the person who gives it away and the person who now has it in their possession. Tzedakah is generally the Hebrew word used for charity, though literally translated it means 'doing what is right.' Clearly, there is a marked distinction between giving charity and doing what is right. To be charitable is to assume that the money or belongings are yours, and you are nice enough to give away your money or possessions to others. Tzedakah means doing right, being aware that the money you are giving to the poor has been offered to you as a gift, to be kept in your trust until you distribute it to its proper owner.
[Iyyun: Institute for the Exploration of the Deeper Dimension of Torah, http://www.iyyun.com/practices/upsherin.html]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Rabbi Pinson writes of "two owners- the person who gives it [tzedakah] away and the person who now has it in their possession." How is this a twist on the traditional understanding of tzedakah? Does this shift your understanding?
2. What are the translations of "tzedakah" that you are aware of/have been exposed to? Is this one ("doing what is right") different?
Time Period: Contemporary (The Yom Kippur War until the present-day)