Tzedakah sources

If a poor person comes and asks according to his or her need and the giver cannot afford to give, the giver should give according to his ability. And how much is that? The greatest way to fulfill this commandment is to give up to one fifth of your wealth. The average way to fulfill this commandment is to give 10% of your wealth. Less than this is considered an evil eye. One should never give less than 1/3 of a shekel in a year, and anyone who gives less than this has not fulfilled the commandment. Even a poor person who is supported by tzedakah is obligated to give tzedakah to another. [AJWS translation]

We are obligated to be more careful in fulfilling the commandment of tzedakah than any other commandment, because tzedakah is the sign of the righteous person (tzaddik), the seed of Abraham, our father, as it is said: “I have known him so that he will command his children after him to do tzedakah.” (Genesis 18:19) The throne of Israel will not be established, nor will the true faith stand, except through tzedakah, as it is said, “In tzedakah shall you be established.” (Isaiah 54:14) Israel will be redeemed only through tzedakah as it is written, “Zion shall be redeemed with justice and those who return to her through tzedakah.” (ibid. 1:27) [Translation by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger]

A person who dwells in a city for thirty days is forced to give tzedakah to the Kupah (community fund that feeds the resident poor with a weekly food allocation) with the rest of the residents of the city. If he dwelt there three months they force him to give to the Tamhui (public soup kitchen for any hungry person). If he dwelt there six months they force him to give tzedakah for clothing to clothe the poor. If he dwelt there nine months they force him to give tzedakah for the burial fund which provides all the burial requirements for the poor.

There are eight degrees of tzedakah, each higher than the next. The highest degree, exceeded by none, is that of the person who assists a poor person by providing him with a gift or a loan or by accepting him into a business partnership or by helping him find employment – in a word, by putting him where he can dispense with other people’s aid. With reference to such aid, it is said, “You shall strengthen him, be he a stranger or a settler, he shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:35), which means strengthen him in such a manner that his falling into want is prevented. Below this is that of the person who gives tzedakah to poor people, but the giver doesn’t know to whom he is giving nor does the recipient know from whom he is receiving. This constitutes giving for its own sake. This is similar to the Secret Office that was in the Temple. There the righteous ones gave secretly and the poor people would be sustained from it anonymously. This is similar to giving to a tzedakah collection. But one should only give to a tzedakah collection if he knows that the overseer is trustworthy and wise and conducts himself fairly, like Rabbi Channaniah ben Tradyon. Below this is a situation in which the giver knows to whom he is giving but the poor person does not know from whom he is receiving. This is like the great sages who used to walk in secret and put coins into the doors of poor people. It is worthy and truly good to do this if those who are responsible for collecting tzedakah are not trustworthy. Below this is a situation in which the poor person knows from whom he is receiving, but the giver does not know the recipient. This is like the great sages who used to bundle coins in their scarves and roll them up over their backs and poor people would come and collect without being embarrassed. Below this is one who gives before being asked. Below this is one who gives after being asked. Below this is one who gives less than what is appropriate but gives it happily. Below this is one who gives unhappily. [AJWS translation]

If a poor man requests money from you and you have nothing to give him, speak to him consolingly. It is forbidden to upbraid a poor person or to shout at him because his heart is broken and contrite...for it is written ( in Isaiah 57:15), "To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite." [translation by AJWS]

"Sufficient" - If one encounters a poor person, one is obligated to fulfill his needs, as it says: "sufficient." If the giver doesn't have enough, he should give according to his ability. How much? Up to one-fifth of one's property, the choicest form of the commandment; one-tenth of one's property, average; less than that, selfish. [Aaron Levy translation]

Rabbi Yonah said: "Happy is the one who gives to the person in need," is not what the verse says, but rather, "Happy is the one who is 'maskil' in relation to the person in need," meaning, one must examine the mitzvah situation thoroughly in order to find the best possible way to do it.

There is nothing in the world more grievous than poverty; it is the most terrible of all sufferings. Our sages have said: If all troubles were assembled on one side and poverty on the other, [poverty would outweigh them all]. When a man is rich and has a poor relative, he does not acknowledge him; for when he sees his poor relation, he hides himself from him, being ashamed to speak to him, because he is poor. [AJWS translation]

Our Rabbis taught: We sustain the non-Jewish poor with the Jewish poor, visit the non-Jewish sick with the Jewish sick, and bury the non-Jewish dead with the Jewish dead, for the sake of peace. [AJWS translation]