#10: Tzedokah (I): So Many Requests - But Who Do You Give To? With Rabbi Zimmerman

In a world of constant appeals, how should a person approach tzedakah with clarity and integrity? This episode explores the practical and ethical tensions behind everyday giving. Is anonymous giving always ideal, or can public donations play an important communal role? Can time, effort, and influence be considered true forms of tzedakah alongside money? Where is the line between legitimate encouragement and uncomfortable pressure? The conversation also examines modern fundraising realities, from luxury dinners to reciprocal giving, and asks whether these practices enhance or undermine the values of tzedakah. Finally, what place, if any, do segulah-based donations have within a Torah framework? A grounded discussion on how to give thoughtfully when the requests never stop.   Timestamps: Timestamps: 0:00:00 —  Introduction/podcast purpose 0:02:26 —  Core purpose of tzedakah (Torah/Gemara/Rambam) 0:10:42 —  Misconceptions about tzedakah today 0:11:09–0:13:02 —  Action vs. intention in giving 0:13:10–0:15:47 —  Anonymous vs. public giving / communal example-setting 0:15:47–0:16:57 —  Give many small gifts vs. fewer large gifts 0:16:57–0:21:07 — Time/expertise as tzedakah (including electrician example) 0:21:07–0:24:05 —  Cost-saving/bulk-buy example (schools, Pesach supplies) 0:24:05–0:29:55 — Modern campaign pressures, follow-ups, appeals history 0:29:55–0:30:13 — Online campaign mechanics / raffles / “pick a number” comment 0:31:25–0:33:14 — Dinners, luxury fundraising events, and how to apportion personal benefit 0:33:14–0:35:47 — Young families & long-term pledges / cautions about pledging 0:35:47–0:37:00 — Matching campaigns and transparency/norms 0:37:00–0:39:32 — General donor motivations, reciprocity, and not over-scrutinizing 0:39:35–0:41:12 — Using prominent rabbis/roshei yeshiva to increase pressure 0:41:45–0:45:04 — Giving linked to segulot/yeshuah and authenticity of scholars 0:45:04–0:48:39 — Organizations promising yeshuah / transactional tzedakah concerns 0:48:39–0:49:40 — Closing / outro