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Religious obligation in Judaism to do what is right and just

Tzedakah ( ṣədāqā, ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify charity. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically understood as a spontaneous act of goodwill and a marker of generosity; tzedakah is an ethical obligation, and it is not properly "charity", like in Christiandom, but a way to empower poor people to support themselves, helping them in developing their talents and skills. Tzedakah (Tzedaka) refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just, which Judaism emphasizes as an important part of living a spiritual life. Unlike voluntary philanthropy, tzedakah is seen as a religious obligation that must be performed regardless of one's financial standing, and so is mandatory even for those of limited financial means. Tzedakah is considered to be one of the three main acts that can positively influence an unfavorable heavenly decree. The word tzedakah is based on the Hebrew (צדק, Tzedeq), meaning righteousness, fairness, or justice, and is related to the Hebrew word Tzadik, meaning righteous as an adjective (or righteous individual as a noun in the form of a substantive). Although the word appears 157 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, typically in relation to "righteousness" per se, its use as a term for "charity" in the above sense is an adaptation of Rabbinic Judaism in Talmudic times. In the Middle Ages, Maimonides conceived of an eight level hierarchy of tzedakah, where the highest form is to give a gift, loan, or partnership that will result in the recipient becoming self sufficient instead of living upon others. In his view, the second highest form of tzedakah is to give donations anonymously to unknown recipients.

The Hebrew Bible teaches the obligation to aid those in need, but does not employ one single term for this obligation. The term tzedakah occurs 157 times in the Masoretic Text, typically in relation to "righteousness" per se, usually in the singular, but sometimes in the plural tzedekot, in relation to acts of charity. Today, however, it is evident that it is not very correct to use some expressions such as "charity" or "alms", it is not always accepted, in fact even parents have the duty to give to their children and this is considered Tzedakah, also thanks to the abundance of products and money in most of cases.

Both Jewish homes and synagogues have a charity collection box into which cash is placed. At home, particularly before the woman of the house lights her Sabbath candles, it is a way of setting aside money. In the synagogue, a designated individual circulates (and shakes it to announce this opportunity). In Chicago in the early 1900s "Many of the families kept pushkas, or contribution containers, as a handy means of making periodic contribution to worthwhile causes." The Polish word puszka means tin can.

TAT (an acronym for Tomchei Torah) is an institutionalized arrangement whereby money is donated for either one time (e. g. wedding) expenses or ongoing support, for the adult (and often married) yeshiva students. A check made out to "TAT of x" would be for those at that yeshiva, or perhaps it can be designated for a particular newly engaged student (or a student with a son or daughter newly engaged). Sometimes donations were intended for ongoing support of students not receiving family support.