It's almost a cliche at this point. The Rambam teaches that the priority for tzedaka should be your local community. But it's not necessarily that simple.
Who is responsible for making sure the local need is being taken care of? Which type of needs should be covered by tzedaka? Does the responsibility fall equally on everyone? Is it the wealthy who have to make sure everyone is covered?
How much should each person have to give locally? Whose decision is that?
In the 1300s, a Jewish community was struggling with these very questions and sent a letter to the RaSHBA for advice. Their question is below.
Rabbi Shlomo ben Avraham, known by an acronym of his initials, was a Medieval rabbi, halakhist, and Talmudist. He was also a successful banker and was designated El Rab d'España ("The Rabbi of Spain"). He lived in Barcelona from 1235 to 1310. [wikipedia]
שו׳׳ת הרשב׳׳א חלק ג סימן שפ
שאלת: עניי העיר מרובין, והמלכות ביוקר, על כן נפלה הקטטה בין העשירים. כי העשירים הגדולים אומרים: יחזרו על הפתחים, ונתן להם כלנו פת בכל יום כדי שיתפרנסו בו, כי גם העשירים הבינונים הדין נותן שיתנו לכל העניים בכל יום פת, כמונו.
והבינונים טוענים: שאין הדין נותן כן, אלא שישבו בבתיהם, ולא יחזרו על הפתחים, כי אחינו בשרנו הם, ותהיה פרנסתם מוטלת על הצבור, ונפרע כלנו לפי העושר, וב׳׳ד כופין האמוד, כעובדא דרבא.
הודיענו, הדין עם מי?
Responsa of the RaSHBA 3:380
THE QUESTION: You asked: the poor of the city are numerous, and the tax burden of the king is expensive, and therefore a conflict has arisen among the well-to-do.
The extremely wealthy say: let the poor go door to door, and let us all give them bread each day to support them, because it is logical that the moderately wealthy people should also give bread each day, just like us.
'The moderately wealthy people claim: this is not logical. Rather, they should stay in their homes and not go door to door, for they are our kin and our flesh, and their support should be cast upon the
whole community. We should all pay for it according to our wealth. And the court can force each person to pay an assessed amount.
Please inform us, with whom is the law?
Questions:
תשובה: שורת הדין, כדברי העשירים הבינונים, שהצדקה ופרנסת העניים לפי ממון הוא... ולכל אחד נותנין לפי כבודו, שאם הוא בן טובים, מוסיפין לו ונותנין לפי כבודו, כדאיתא בפרק מציאת האישה; וכל שכן, שלא יחזור על פתחים... וכתוב: ואתה נותן להם את אכלם באיתו, מלמד: שכל אחד ואחד נותן לו הקב׳׳ה לפי פרנסתו, וכדאיתא התם. אלה שהדור נדלדל, ואין עשירות לא בכיס ולא בדעת. ומ׳׳מ, בכל המקומות מפרנסין מן הקופה ולפי ממון, ואם יחזרו לאחר מכן על הפתחים, יחזרו, וכל אחד נותן לפי דעתו ורצונו.
THE RESPONSE: The law is with the moderately wealthy. For tzedakah and maintaining the poor is according to wealth. To each one we give according to his/her honor. ..all the more so that they should not go door to door. In any case, in every place, we support them through the community chest according to our wealth, and if afterward, they go door to door, each person gives according to his/her inclination.
RECAP: The RaSHBA suggests a hybrid solution. Collect taxes from everyone proportionate to their wealth, and distribute money according to the need of the poor. If the needy want to ask for additional support, they can ask people to give more on their own accord beyond what is obligatory.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Need
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behavior. Once that level is fulfilled the next level up is what motivates us, and so on.
Questions about Maslow's hierarchy of needs:
About the White Plains Youth Bureau
"The Youth Bureau offers a full range of youth development programs and activities including: after school, employment, leadership and counseling, substance abuse prevention and community building. A variety of youth development programs prepare youth for academic and personal success, higher education, summer jobs, and career development. Youth Bureau programs – from chess to boxing to lacrosse – provide skills, fun, and character development. Art, dance, and music help youngsters discover new skills…and, of course, have more fun. Youth are exposed to science, business and technology in our computer labs, environmental programs, media labs and field trips to centers of commerce and learning. Mentoring programs, along with intergenerational activities for youth and seniors, strengthen everyone’s appreciation of time, life, and community."
(Source: https://whiteplainsyouthbureau.org)
Questions for Jewish residents of White Plains: