What do Jews believe about helping people?

Answer 1

Jewish tradition states that every person, even the poorest, has an obligation to help those in need by giving tzedakah. The Hebrew word tzedakah is sometimes translated as charity, but it shares a root with tzedek, meaning justice. The great Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (also known by his Latinized name Maimonides) identified 8 levels of tzedakah. The highest level is to help a man to find a job enter a profession, below that are anonymous gifts, below that gifts were the recipient does not know who gave, below that gifts where the donor does not know who receives, but the recipient does, below that, a gift given willingly before being asked, below that, an inadequate gift given willingly, and at the bottom, a grudging gift only given after being asked.