פרנסת עצמו קודמת לכל אדם, ואינו חייב לתת צדקה עד שיהיה לו פרנסתו ואח’כ יקדים פרנסת אביו ואמו, אם הם עניים, והם קודמים לפרנסת בניו. ואחר כך בניו, והם קודמים לאחיו, והם קודמים לשאר קרובים, והקרובים קודמים לשכיניו, ושכיניו לאנשי עירו, ואנשי עירו לעיר אחרת.
A person’s own livelihood comes before anyone else and one has no duty to give (charity) until one has one's own income. Next come one's parents if they are poor, next one's grown children, next one's siblings, and next one's extended family, next one's neighbors, next the people of one's town, and next the people of other towns. As well, the true residents of the town are the “poor of the city” and they precede those poor who come to the city from another place. [Translation by Hillel. Edited for gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think this hierarchy is based on?
2. What do you think this source is saying about family? About physical proximity? Do you agree with this order of priority?
3. What is your list of priorities?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)