Tzedakah or just more politics?

by: Rabbi Jill Jacobs

Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 11:40:38 AM EDT

My husband and I have an ongoing debate about whether giving money to candidates for political office constitutes tzedakah.

First, a definition is in order: in Jewish law, tzedakah refers to material support for the poor. Most classical texts speak of tzedakah as providing money, food, medicine, housing, etc. directly to the poor. Later sources extend this category to also cover educational materials and even ritual items designated for those in need. 

While traditional sources focus on direct emergency support for the poor, it is easy to make a case that organizing and advocacy groups that work to end poverty should also be included in the category of tzedakah. If the goal of tzedakah is to fulfill the biblical promise that "there shall be no poor among you," then money given to a group working to create affordable housing, raise the minimum wage, or otherwise reduce poverty can be considered tzedakah. That said, I classify donations to groups that do not work to end poverty as philanthropy, and not tzedakah.

In practical terms, my husband and I maintain a separate bank account for our tzedakah, and channel at least ten percent of our earnings into this account. When we write a check to a group that fits our definition of tzedakah, the money comes out of this account.  When we write a check to another sort of organization--say, our college alumni funds--we take the money out of our regular bank account (though still report it to the IRS, which has somewhat different guidelines).

So what about political candidates? If we believe that a certain candidate will have a major effect in reducing poverty, should money to support him or her come out of the tzedakah account? What if this person is likely to have only a minor effect? Would it make a difference if the candidate ran on an explicitly anti-poverty platform? Should the decision depend on whether the candidate, if elected, will have the power to make serious changes in the economic situation? Does it matter if this person will hold local, statewide or national office?

What do you think?