רמבם, ספר מורה הנבוכים חלק ג פרק נג
ומלת צדקה, היא נגזרת מצדק, והוא היושר, והיושר הוא להגיע כל בעל חק לחקו, ולתת לכל נמצא מן הנמצאות כפי הראוי לו
The word tzedakah is derived from the word tzedek, which means justice; justice being the granting to everyone who has a right to something, that which one has a right to, and giving to every being that which corresponds to their merits. [Translation by Jessica Fechtor. Edited for gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. According to the Rambam, what is justice?
2. How do we assess what every person has a right to? How do we evaluate one’s merits?
3. How is this different than the definition of justice that we use to evaluate people today? Is one better than the other?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)