The Hebrew word TSEDAQAH (צְדָקָה ) is most often translated into English as “righteousness”. It occurs 157 times in the Hebrew Bible. Western Christians are often taught that the words righteous or righteousness have to do with our “right standing with G-d” (in fact, that is very phrase that was used when we were taught the concept in our Baptist church long ago).
But to Jesus and His Jewish audience, TSEDAQAH means so much
more than our own personal place with the G-d of the universe. This is from the Jewish website Chabad:
Do not give charity. Charity means being nice. It means the other
guy doesn’t deserve it and you don’t have to give it, because you have what
belongs to you and he has what belongs to him. And nevertheless, you give
anyways.
But Jews don’t give charity. Jews give tzedakah. And tzedakah means setting
things right. Tzedakah means the money
was never really yours, that you’re just the treasurer and the money was put in
your trust to be disbursed for good things, both for you and for others when
they will have a need.
Tzedakah is something you receive every day, because the One Above has no obligations towards you, yet He provides you constantly with all that you need. And since the One Above mirrors all that you do below, you feel a need to give more than you are required to give, so that He will give you more than you deserve to get.”
TSEDAQAH is more than our standing with G-d, though it is related. Hear an ancient Rabbi, Yeshua Ben Yoseph of Galilee:
Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
TSEDAQAH is not about "being", but rather it's about doing. DO righteousness. It is one of the ways we put the world to right.
