Charity, Tzedekah, And Zakah

Charity is demanded of us. It is not merely a matter of calculations at tax time. In the structure of the Jews, Tzedekah is the word used for Charity. It means a good deal more than the bloodless Anglification of the ancient Latin caritas. Tzedekah comes from a Hebrew root meaning justice, fairness, righteousness. Giving to the Poor is not viewed as a magnanimous act testifying to the generosity of the giver; it is an act of what is right and what must be: it is the performance of a duty, giving the Poor their due. Similarly in Islam, the alms-giving is the Zakah. The word zakah is deeply rooted in justice and equity. The things God created do not belong to us: if we are correct to say a thing may belong, then all things belong to all things. I am speaking of the things of Creation. If you fear that what I say sound like Communism, then merely imagine that what I say does not apply to the realm of Possessions and Property, for these are entities derived from Creation - not part of it. God did not create Personal Property on any day of Genesis. The only form of world economy which will endure is that which realizes this basic fact.