(19) For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is charitable and right, in order that the LORD may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.”
(35) When your brother becomes poor and his ability to support himself fails where he is with you, you shall support him, [even if he is] a stranger or a sojourner, and he shall live with you.
כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃ ... נָת֤וֹן תִּתֵּן֙ ל֔וֹ וְלֹא־יֵרַ֥ע לְבָבְךָ֖ בְּתִתְּךָ֣ ל֑וֹ כִּ֞י בִּגְלַ֣ל ׀ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה יְבָרֶכְךָ֙ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ בְּכָֽל־מַעֲשֶׂ֔ךָ וּבְכֹ֖ל מִשְׁלַ֥ח יָדֶֽךָ׃ כִּ֛י לֹא־יֶחְדַּ֥ל אֶבְי֖וֹן מִקֶּ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ עַל־כֵּ֞ן אָנֹכִ֤י מְצַוְּךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּ֠תֹחַ תִּפְתַּ֨ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֜ לְאָחִ֧יךָ לַעֲנִיֶּ֛ךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּאַרְצֶֽךָ׃ (ס)
When there is a destitute person among you, any of your brothers, in one of your settlements in your land that the Lord, your God, is giving to you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your destitute brother. Rather, you shall generously open your hand to him, and extend to him any credit necessary for providing that which he lacks.… Make every effort to give to him, and do not feel bad when you give to him, because for this the Lord, your God, will bless you in all of your deeds and in all of your endeavors. For there will never cease to be a destitute person in the land; therefore I am commanding you to open your hand generously to your poor and destitute brother in your land.
עשר תעשר. הכי איתא בסיפרי עשר תעשר את כל תבואת זרעך היוצא השדה שנה שנה אין לי אלא תבואת זרעך שחייב במעשר רבית ופרקמטיא וכל שאר רווחים מנין ת"ל את כל דהוה מצי למימר את תבואתך מאי כל לרבות רבית ופרקמטיא וכל דבר שמרויח בו
The following is to be found in the Sifrei: "You shall definitely tithe all you agricultural produce which comes forth in the field every year." From this we could deduce only that agricultural produce must be tithed. How can we deduce that it applies to loan interest, trading and all other profits? From the word 'all'; for the verse could have stated "your agricultural produce". What is the significance of 'all'? To include load interest, trading and all other profits.
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לִתֵּן צְדָקָה לָעֲנִיִּים כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לֶעָנִי. אִם הָיְתָה יַד הַנּוֹתֵן מַשֶּׂגֶת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו-ח) "פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ" וְנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כה-לה) "וְהֶחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב וָחַי עִמָּךְ" וְנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כה-לו) "וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ":
(ב) וְכָל הָרוֹאֶה עָנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ וְהֶעֱלִים עֵינָיו מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא נָתַן לוֹ צְדָקָה עָבַר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו-ז) "לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן":
(ג) לְפִי מַה שֶּׁחָסֵר הֶעָנִי אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לִתֵּן לוֹ. אִם אֵין לוֹ כְּסוּת מְכַסִּים אוֹתוֹ. אִם אֵין לוֹ כְּלֵי בַּיִת קוֹנִין לוֹ. אִם אֵין לוֹ אִשָּׁה מַשִּׂיאִין אוֹתוֹ. וְאִם הָיְתָה אִשָּׁה מַשִּׂיאִין אוֹתָהּ לְאִישׁ. אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל זֶה הֶעָנִי לִרְכֹּב עַל הַסּוּס וְעֶבֶד רָץ לְפָנָיו וְהֶעֱנִי וְיָרַד מִנְּכָסָיו קוֹנִין לוֹ סוּס לִרְכֹּב עָלָיו וְעֶבֶד לָרוּץ לְפָנָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו-ח) "דֵּי מַחְסֹרוֹ אֲשֶׁר יֶחְסַר לוֹ". וּמְצֻוֶּה אַתָּה לְהַשְׁלִים חֶסְרוֹנוֹ וְאֵין אַתָּה מְצֻוֶּה לְעַשְּׁרוֹ:
(ה) בָּא הֶעָנִי וְשָׁאַל דֵּי מַחֲסוֹרוֹ וְאֵין יַד הַנּוֹתֵן מַשֶּׂגֶת נוֹתֵן לוֹ כְּפִי הַשָּׂגַת יָדוֹ וְכַמָּה עַד חֲמִישִׁית נְכָסָיו מִצְוָה מִן הַמֻּבְחָר. וְאֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה בִּנְכָסָיו בֵּינוֹנִי. פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן עַיִן רָעָה. וּלְעוֹלָם לֹא יִמְנַע עַצְמוֹ מִשְּׁלִישִׁית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשָׁנָה. וְכָל הַנּוֹתֵן פָּחוֹת מִזֶּה לֹא קִיֵּם מִצְוָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ עָנִי הַמִּתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה חַיָּב לִתֵּן צְדָקָה לְאַחֵר:
(ו) עָנִי שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ וְאָמַר רָעֵב אֲנִי הַאֲכִילוּנִי אֵין בּוֹדְקִין אַחֲרָיו שֶׁמָּא רַמַּאי הוּא אֶלָּא מְפַרְנְסִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד:
(1) It is a positive commandment to give Tzedaka to poor people according to what is appropriate for the recipient if the donor can afford it as it says "You shall surely open your hand to him" and it says "And you shall strengthen the stranger and he shall live among you." And it says "and your brother shall live among you."
(2) Anyone who deliberately ignores a beggar and does not give to him commits a negative transgression as it says "Thou shalt not strengthen thy heart nor tighten thy hand against your poor brother."
(3) You are obligated to give the poor person what he lacks. If he does not have clothing, clothe him. If he does not have furniture, buy him furniture. If he is single and unable to afford a wedding, help to marry him/her off. Even if the poor person used to be extremely rich and ride a horse and have a servant work before him, and the person became impoverished, buy him a horse to ride and a servant to work before him. As it says "[make up to him] his lack which he lacks." You are commanded to make up what he lacks, but not to enrich him.
(5) When a poor person comes and asks for his needs to be met and the giver does not have the financial capacity, he should give him according to his financial capacity. How much? The most desirable way of performing the mitzvah is to give one fifth of one's financial resources. Giving one tenth is an ordinary measure. Giving less is stingy. A person should refrain from giving less than a third of a shekel a year. A person who gives less than this has not fulfilled the mitzvah. Even a poor person who derives his livelihood from charity is obligated to give charity to another person.
(6) If there is a poor person that you don't know , and he says "I am hungry," you should feed him without ascertaining whether he is being dishonest . Rather you should feed him immediately.
Based on Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 10:7-14
1) A person gives but is not happy when s/he digs into his/her pockets in order to give. 2) A person gives cheerfully, but gives less than s/he should. 3) A person gives, but only when asked by a poor person. 4) A person gives without having to be asked, but gives directly to the poor. The poor person knows who gave the help, and the giver knows who was benefited. 5) A person gives a donation in a certain place, but walks away so that the giver does not know who received the benefit. However, the poor person knows the giver. 6) A person makes a donation to a poor person secretly. The giver knows who was benefited, but the poor person does not know who the giver was. 7) A person contributes anonymously to the tzedakah fund which is then distributed to the poor. 8) A person gives money and helps to prevent another person from becoming poor. For example, teaching a person a trade, finding them a job, lending money, or teaching them to fish
Collection of Rabbinic Quotes
Anyone who does not teach their child a skill or profession may be regarded as teaching their child to rob, Talmud 29a Do not let him slip until he falls completely, for then it will be difficult to raise him; rather strengthen him when he begins to fall, Midrash The Torah commands us to give charity to the poor among the people of Israel, each according to his or her needs. But you cannot ignore the poor (non-Jews) in your midst, Joseph Caro The highest level of tzedakah is helping someone to help himself, Maimonides A person should give his relatives before giving to anyone else…and then to the poor in his town…and then to the poor in other towns…the poor in Israel should receive before the poor in other lands, Joseph Caro If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, who am I? Hillel And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if you saved the entire world, Talmud Sanhedrin 37a We are all created in the image of God, Genesis, 21:26-27 If, however, there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsmen. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficiently for whatever he needs, Deuteronomy 15:7-8 Proper fulfillment of any commandment only takes place in Israel, Maimonides Separate not yourself from the community, Pirkei Avot It is not up to you to finish the task, and you are not free to abstain from it, Pirkei Avot Love your neighbor as yourself, Leviticus 19:18 Justice, justice you shall pursue, Deuteronomy 16:20