Tzedakah box from the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts site
Tzedakah in Hebrew means "righteous." This covers the Jewish tenets of good behavior: kindness, justice, behaving ethically. Above all, it refers to charity as an absolute must, and such charity has a prescribed order. It is best applied first to family and close relatives, then to the Jewish community, next to Israel, next to the Jewish community worldwide, then to the local community and then to needy people in general. The first goal of such giving was to give a person enough independence that charity was no longer necessary.
The tzedakah box, which has no standard form, appears in homes and synagogues as a collection box. These boxes, created to hold generosity, can be beautiful, decorative and creative. Those people who are unable to give money may also perform this mitzvah through volunteering for causes in need. These boxes are often a staple in Jewish homes, and are often used as physical symbols in charitable giving and fundraising endeavors.
Patrons of the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts will be given a chance to view these creative expressions of righteousness beginning May 16. This collection of boxes will be on display until November 8, 2009 in the Harold and Mickey Smith Gallery of Jewish Arts and Culture. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Some boxes on display will have specific historic significance while others are created by unknown artists.
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