How Much Charity Should You Give? The Torah’s Measure of Wealth, Generosity, and Blessing

The Sages, including the Rambam (Maimonides), the Tur, and the Shulchan Aruch, established clear principles for giving charity: “If one’s means allow, he should give according to the needs of the poor.” That is, a wealthy person capable of sustaining all the needy in his city is obligated to do so.

If one’s means are limited:

• The best measure is to give up to one-fifth (20%) of one’s assets.

• The average measure – give one-tenth (10%), commonly practiced as ma’aser kesafim (tithing income).

• The miserly measure – giving less than a tenth is called an ayin ra’ah (“a bad eye”), showing stinginess toward others.

This higher measure of one-fifth is derived from Yaakov's vow in Bereishit 28:22: “And of all that You give me, I will surely tithe to You” — the double phrase “tithe, I will tithe” implies twice a tenth, i.e., a fifth.

The Tur writes that this is proven and tested: “Because of charity, one will not lose wealth — rather, it increases his prosperity and honor.” As the verse says, “From the time the offering was brought to the House of the Lord, they ate and were satisfied and had abundance, for the Lord had blessed His people.” And as the Talmud teaches (Shabbat 119a): “Tithe so that you may become wealthy.”

The Upper Limit

The Talmud (Ketubot 50a) teaches: “In Usha they decreed that one who spends [on charity] should not spend more than a fifth of his wealth,” lest he himself become impoverished and dependent on others.

The Minimum Measure

The Gemara also states: “A person should never refrain from giving at least one-third of a shekel per year.” This is the minimum Torah-level fulfillment of tzedakah — about seven grams of pure silver annually.

However, giving only this minimal amount is considered a severe deficiency in character. Where rabbinic authority is strong, a person can even be compelled to give according to his means, for stinginess toward the poor contradicts the Torah’s spirit of compassion.

The Power of Tzedakah

Those who give generously, especially to support Torah scholars, earn immense reward. Charity has the power to nullify harsh decrees, as it says: “Tzedakah saves from death.”

The Talmud illustrates this through the story of the widow of Zarephath in the days of Eliyahu HaNavi, who shared her last cake of bread with him, and was rewarded with her son’s revival and long-lasting blessings.

Adapted from rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef