Summary of Laws of Giving

This is a summary of a small section of a book named Mishnah Torah.  It was written by Maimonides, who was a rabbi that lived in the 12th Century.  He wrote many books about Judaism.  Mishnah Torah is a book about Jewish law.  This summary is based on the section on “Laws of Gifts to the Poor,” chapter 10, verses 7-14.

These are the eight levels of giving to the poor in order from lowest to highest levels.

1. A person gives but is not happy when s/he digs into his/her pocket 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. The highest level of charity is to give money and help to prevent another person from becoming poor. For example, teaching a person a trade, finding them a job, lending money, teaching them to fish.