רמב"ם הלכות מתנות עניים פרק י הלכה ט
פחות מזה שידע הנותן למי יתן ולא ידע העני ממי לקח, כגון גדולי החכמים שהיו הולכין בסתר ומשליכין המעות בפתחי העניים, וכזה ראוי לעשות ומעלה טובה היא אם אין הממונין בצדקה נוהגין כשורה.
Below this is the case in which the one who gives [tzedakah] knows the identity of the recipient, but the poor person does not know the identity of the donor. For example: the great rabbis used to go secretly and place money on the doorsteps of the poor. It is fitting to do this, and this is an [especially] good level in cases in which the officials who preside over the tzedakah funds do not act meritoriously. [Translation by Rabbi Jill Jacobs]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What model of giving does the Rambam encourage here? What are the merits of this model?
2. What potential problems does this model avoid? Do we have similar concerns today?
3. How can we incorporate this model into our tzedakah work today?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)