#11: Tzedokah (II): The Way We Give Has Changed - For Better or Worse? With Rabbi Zimmerman

Tzedakah today looks very different to how it once did. But has that change improved the way we give, or complicated it?

This episode addresses real-world dilemmas: If your child has a negative experience with an institution, can you redirect your support elsewhere? Do you need to verify every collector, or can you rely on communal trust? Is giving smaller amounts to many causes a practical solution, or does it dilute the impact of the mitzvah?

The discussion also tackles prioritisation, how to choose between multiple urgent needs and whether family always comes first. Are fundraising commissions a necessary part of modern charity, or a distortion of its purpose?

A clear and nuanced look at how tzedakah is evolving and how to navigate it responsibly.

Timestamps:

- 0:00 Intro & series overview

- 0:27 Difference: tzedokah (reactive) vs Ma'aser (proactive)

- 2:08 Affordability & basic needs (poskim discussion)

- 3:50 Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, Vilna Gaon on status/limits

- 6:00 Hazaka/makirah and long-term support

- 9:05 Hakarat hatov (gratitude) and prioritization

- 10:00 Spousal decisions & whose money rules