Tzedakah
/tsəˈdɑː.kə/noun
A Jewish ethical obligation to give money or aid to people in need.
Did you know?In Jewish thought, tzedakah is not primarily voluntary kindness but justice: giving to those in need helps restore a moral balance in the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṣdq
“To be just, right, or truthful”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
צֶדֶק (ṣedeq)
“Justice, righteousness, or moral rightness”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
צְדָקָה (ṣĕdāqāh)
“Righteousness, justice, or acts of moral integrity”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
צדקה (tzedakah)
“Righteous giving, especially support for people in need”
20th Century
English
tzedakah
“A Jewish practice or obligation of charitable giving and social justice”
Modern English
English
tzedakah
“Charitable giving understood as a religious and ethical duty”
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