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Pushke
A tzedakah box () or pushke () is a receptacle for charitable donations in Judaism. History The earliest mention of a tzedakah box is in connection with the priest Jehoiada, who crafted a chest with a hole in its lid, positioning it next to the altar's main entrance on the southern side of the Temple. Within this chest, all offerings were placed to establish a fund for repairing of the sacred structure. According to the Mishnah, the Second Temple featured thirteen boxes shaped like a shofar into which coins were deposited. The funds within were allocated for various Temple sacrifices and charitable endeavours. In later times, the boxes became repositories for communal contributions intended to provide sustenance for the needy every Friday.Pe'ah 8:7; Bava Batra 8b. Historically, synagogues and '' batei midrash'' were equipped with sets of tzedakah boxes, each bearing an inscription to indicate the designated purpose for the collected funds. Among these boxes were one for ''bedeá ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tzedakah
''Tzedakah'' ( ''ṣədÄqÄ'', ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify ''charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically understood as a spontaneous act of goodwill and a marker of generosity; ''tzedakah'' is an ethical obligation, and it is not properly "charity", like in Christendom, but a way to empower poor people to support themselves, helping them in developing their talents and skills. ''Tzedakah'' (Tzedaka) refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just, which Judaism emphasizes as an important part of living a spiritual life. Unlike voluntary philanthropy, ''tzedakah'' is seen as a religious obligation that must be performed regardless of one's financial standing, and so is mandatory even for those of limited financial means. ''Tzedakah'' is considered to be one of the three main acts that can positively influence an unfavorable heavenly decree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alms In Judaism
Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' comes from the Old English ', ', which comes from Late Latin ', from Greek ' ("pity, alms"), from , ' ("merciful"), from , ', meaning "pity or mercy". Buddhism ''DÄna'' in Buddhism In Buddhism, both "almsgiving" and "giving" are called "dÄna" (PÄli). Such giving is one of the three elements of the path of practice as formulated by the Buddha for laypeople. This path of practice for laypeople is dÄna, sÄ«la, and bhÄvanÄ. Generosity towards other sentient beings is also emphasized in Mahayana as one of the perfections ( paramita). As shown in Lama Tsong Khapa's 'The Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path' (): The giving of alms is the beginning of one's journey to Nirvana (). In practice, one can give anything with or without thought for Nibbana. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Synagogue
A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, choir performances, and children's plays. They often also have rooms for study, social halls, administrative and charitable offices, classrooms for religious and Hebrew studies, and many places to sit and congregate. They often display commemorative, historic, or modern artwork alongside items of Jewish historical significance or history about the synagogue itself. Synagogues are buildings used for Jewish prayer, study, assembly, and reading of the Torah. The Torah (Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses) is traditionally read in its entirety over a period of a year in weekly portions during services, or in some synagogues on a triennial cycle. However, the edifice of a synagogue as such is not essential for hol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zakat
Zakat (or ZakÄh زكاة) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Zakat is the Arabic word for "Giving to Charity" or "Giving to the Needy". Zakat is a form of almsgiving, often collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is considered in Islam a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer (''salat'') in importance. Eight heads of zakat are mentioned in the Quran. As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, zakat is a religious duty for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth to help the needy. It is a mandatory charitable contribution, often considered to be a tax.Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ṬūsÄ« (2010), ''Concise Description of Islamic Law and Legal Opinions'', , pp. 131–135. The payment and disputes on zakat have played a major role in the history of Islam, notably during the Ridda wars. Zakat on wealth is based on the value of all of one's possessions. It is customarily 2.5% (or ) of a Muslim's total savings and wealth above a minimum amount known ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poor Box
A poor box, alms box, offertory box, or mite box is a box that is used to collect coins for charitable purposes. They can be found in most Christian churches built before the 19th century and were the main source of funds for poor relief. Contemporary mite boxes are usually made of cardboard and given out to church congregations during the Lenten season. The mite boxes are collected by the church, and the donations are given to the poor. Mite boxes are popular with children because they can fill them with small change, teaching them the principle of giving alms to the poor. The Mite box promotes the spirit of contributing based on the intent to help others, and not on the monetary amount. History The origin of the ''mite box'' is very old. In 2 Kings 12:9, the priest Jehoiada bored a hole in the lid of a chest and placed it near the first altar. However, this was to fund maintenance rather than alms. Pope Innocent III, at the end of the twelfth century, allowed some mite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical stories describing the Genesis creation narrative, creation of the heaven and earth in six days and the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt. Since the Hebrew calendar, Jewish religious calendar counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the civil calendar is Friday. Shabbat observance entails refraining from 39 Melachot, work activities, often with shomer Shabbat, great rigor, and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Judaism's traditional position is that the unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. Variations upon Shabbat are widespread in Judaism and, with adaptations, throughout the Abraham ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gabbai
A ''gabbai'' (), sometimes spelled ''gabay'', also known as ''shamash'' (, sometimes transcribed ''shamas'') or warden ( UK, similar to churchwarden), is a beadle or sexton, a person who assists in the running of synagogue services in some way. The role may be undertaken on a voluntary or paid basis. A ''shamash'' (literally 'servant') or ''gabbai'' can also mean an assistant to a rabbi (particularly the secretary or personal assistant to a Hasidic rebbe). In '' ma'amad'', the Council of Elders (or "the board of directors") of the communities of Sephardi Jews, the position of ''gabbai'' was that of the treasurer. Etymology The word ''gabbai'' is Hebrew and, in Talmudic times, meant "collector of taxes or charity" or "treasurer". The term ''shamash'' is sometimes used for the ''gabbai'', the caretaker or "man of all work" in a synagogue. Duties While the specific set of duties vary from synagogue to synagogue, a gabbai's responsibilities will typically include ensuring th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loan
In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the debt (e.g., a promissory note) will normally specify, among other things, the principal amount of money borrowed, the interest rate the lender is charging, and the date of repayment. A loan entails the reallocation of the subject asset(s) for a period of time, between the lender and the borrower. The interest provides an incentive for the lender to engage in the loan. In a legal loan, each of these obligations and restrictions is enforced by contract, which can also place the borrower under additional restrictions known as loan covenants. Although this article focuses on monetary loans, in practice, any material object might be lent. Acting as a provider of loans is one of the main activities of financial institutions such as banks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah (, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew language, Hebrew, the scriptures (especially the Torah), and the Talmud (and ''halakha''). This was meant to prepare them for ''yeshiva'' or, particularly in the movement's modern form, for Jewish education at a high school level. The Talmud Torah was modeled after the ''cheder'', a traditional form of schooling whose essential elements it incorporated, with changes appropriate to its public form rather than the ''cheder's'' private financing through less formal or institutionalized mechanisms, including tuition fees and donations. In the United States, the term ''Talmud Torah'' refers to the afternoon program for boys and girls after attending public school. This form of Jewish education was prevalent from the mid–19th century through "the 1940s a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beth Midrash
A ''beth midrash'' (, "house of learning"; : ''batei midrash''), also ''beis medrash'' or ''beit midrash'', is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall". It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth knesseth''), although the two are often coextensive. In Yiddish the ''beth midrash'' may be referred to as a ''zal'', i.e. "hall". ''Beis midrash'' can also refer to a yeshiva gedolah, the undergraduate-level program in Orthodoxy, for boys over 12th grade. The Arabic term "madrasah" is derived from the same Semitic root, and refers to any type of educational institution. The root דרש means "to seek nowledge and is then generalized to mean "expound". History Early rabbinic literature, including the Mishnah, makes mention of the ''beth midrash'' as an institution distinct from the '' beth din'' and Sanhedrin. It was meant as a place of Torah study and interpretation, as well as the development of ''halakha'' (the practical application of the Jewish Law ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pe'ah
Pe'ah (, lit. "Corner") is the second tractate of '' Seder Zeraim'' ("Order of Seeds") of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. This tractate begins the discussion of topics related to agriculture, the main focus of this ''seder'' (order) of the Mishnah. The tractate discusses the laws of gifts to the poor when a person harvests their field, vineyards or trees, based on commandments in the Torah. The tractate also deals with the laws of giving charity in general. The tractate is called Pe'ah because the first part of the tractate deals with the laws of Pe'ah, while the remaining part of the tractate deals with a number of other related topics. In addition to the Mishnah, a tractate Pe'ah exists in the Jerusalem Talmud (commenting on the Mishnah tractate), but not in the Babylonian Talmud. Topics This tractate discusses the gifts due to the poor when fields, vineyards or trees are harvested, and the laws of giving charity in general. Six categories of obligations are discussed in the tra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
