Avrohom Chaim Feuer, ArtScroll, 2000
I bought this book on a recommendation from a colleague, in preparation for a series of shiurim on the subject of tzedakah. The author, whom I met in the USA a few years ago, is an outstanding scholar, and most engaging personality; an academic as well as having been the rabbi of an ordinary American Shul. The book is a mixture of ideas and inspiration about the importance of tzedakah and the laws governing its distribution. Rabbi Feuer dedicates the first 100 or so pages to the significance of tzedakah, its benefits and spiritual value. There is, as one would expect, a discussion of the Rambam’s eight levels of tzedakah. The remainder of the book deals with the halachic issues concerning ma’aser (giving a tenth of one’s income to charity), the correct attitude towards recipients, dealing with pledges, the importance of supporting Torah causes and prioritisation in giving. The book also deals with the subjects of giving to specific or ‘pet’ projects and what to do when you suspect that a collector isn’t genuine. This is a valuable part of my library; it is especially useful in that it deals with many real-life examples.
The Tzedakah Treasury
