Holiday Giving: Tzedakah Through the Jewish Year

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From Rosh Hashana to Purim to Pesach — every major Jewish holiday has unique giving obligations and spiritual dimensions. This course explores them all.

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Course Content

6 lessons
  1. 1

    Rosh Hashana: The Sweetness of Generous Judgment

    On the day we are judged, we become more just. The relationship between being inscribed for a good year and our practice of tzedakah.

  2. 2

    Yom Kippur: Teshuvah, Tefillah, Tzedakah

    The three pillars that avert a harsh decree. Why tzedakah is paired with prayer and repentance on the holiest day of the year.

  3. 3

    Sukkot: Inviting the Ushpizin — and the Poor

    The mystical tradition of welcoming the seven spiritual guests into the sukkah is inseparable from welcoming real guests — especially those in need.

  4. 4

    Chanukah: Light, Miracles, and the Economy of Giving

    While not primarily a tzedakah holiday, Chanukah's themes of publicizing miracles connect to visible, unashamed generosity in the public square.

  5. 5

    Purim: Matanot La'evyonim and the Joy of Giving

    Purim has a specific obligation: gifts to the poor. The Rambam says the joy of giving on Purim must exceed any other celebration.

  6. 6

    Pesach: Maot Chitim and the Obligation to Free Others

    Maot Chitim — wheat money — is the ancient Pesach tradition of ensuring every Jew has enough for the holiday. Its modern applications are urgent.

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