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-'''mivtza tzedakah''' is one of the ten campaigns initiated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. It was announced in the summer of 1974 (5734), alongside the "Torah Campaign," "Mezuzah Campaign," "Home Full of Jewish Books Campaign," and "Shabbat Candle Lighting Campaign" (Neshek).
+Mivtza Tzedakah is one of the ten Mivtzoyim (campaigns) that the Rebbe announced. The Rebbe announced this campaign in 1974.
-The campaign aims to promote the mitzvah of giving charity (tzedakah), including through the placement of charity boxes in homes, shops, and other spaces. The Rebbe emphasized that fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah brings divine blessings to the giver, granted generously by God, "with His full, open, holy, and expansive hand."
+As part of the campaign, the Rebbe called to raise awareness about the importance of giving tzedakah at every possible opportunity and to place tzedakah boxes in every possible location.
-== Key Directives ==
+== The Campaign ==
-The Rebbe encouraged the placement of charity boxes in every Jewish home and business. He stressed that even those who contribute large sums to communal charity organizations should still have a personal charity box, as its presence serves as a merit for the household.
+The Rebbe announced the campaign in the summer of 1974 together with the campaigns "Mivtza Torah", "Mivtza Mezuzah", "Mivtza Bayis Malei Seforim" and "Mivtza Neiros Shabbos Kodesh (NSHK)".
-The Rebbe suggested printing depictions of other mitzvah campaigns on charity boxes to remind people of additional mitzvot when they see the box.
+The purpose of this campaign is to spread the mitzvah of tzedakah, including through tzedakah boxes and similar means - because through fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah, a Jew receives the blessings of Hakadosh Baruch Hu who gives them like tzedakah, from His full, open, holy and generous hand.
-The Rebbe also shared that he personally strives to connect everything to the mitzvah of tzedakah.
+The Rebbe requested that every home, store and similar place should have a tzedakah box. The Rebbe said this request applies even to those who donate large sums to gabbai tzedakah and the like, since the very existence of the box constitutes a great merit for those who maintain it.
-== Guidelines for Charity Boxes ==
+One of the Rebbe's suggestions to Chassidim involved in the campaign was to print images of the other 'Mivtzei Hamitzvos' on the boxes, so that people looking at the box would be reminded of additional mitzvos.
-At a public gathering in 1974, the Rebbe instructed that charity boxes should not display the names of specific recipients or donors to avoid any perception of self-interest. This aligns with the principle that one should act in a manner that is "clean in the eyes of God and Israel."
-The Rebbe repeatedly emphasized the importance of attaching charity boxes to walls, making them a permanent part of the home. He provided several reasons:
+The Rebbe testified about himself that he makes a habit of connecting everything with tzedakah.
-# '''A House of Charity''': The box becomes part of the home, turning it into a "Chabad House" — a house of kindness and charity.
+In the farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Korach 1974, the Rebbe gave a surprising instruction: "Regarding tzedakah boxes, it is advisable not to write for whom the tzedakah is intended, so people won't think we want to profit money etc., because there needs to be 'And you shall be clean before Hashem and before Israel'... and also do not write who is giving the box."
-# '''Reminder''': The box serves as a visual reminder to give tzedakah and fulfill all mitzvot, as charity is considered equivalent to all other commandments and hastens redemption.
-# '''Daily Accessibility''': Since giving tzedakah is a daily mitzvah, the box ensures that one can easily fulfill the commandment, even in the absence of someone in need.
-In a discussion on Tzom Gedaliah in 1988 (5749), the Rebbe addressed a halachic question about placing charity boxes in temporary residences. He instructed that the box should be attached to the wall in a manner that it cannot be removed on Shabbat or holidays, symbolizing its integration into the home. Upon leaving, the box could be taken without damaging the wall, emphasizing its temporary nature in the guest residence.
+== The Tzedakah Box ==
+The Rebbe emphasized several times the importance of fixing the box to the wall of the house so it becomes part of the home, for several reasons:
-== Giving Charity at Every Gathering ==
+* '''House of Tzedakah''' - The box becomes part of the house and room, making the house a 'Chabad House - a house of tzedakah'.
-The Rebbe, based on the teaching of the Previous Rebbe, instructed that whenever two Jews meet, they should ensure their encounter brings benefit to a third Jew. In any gathering of Jews, charity should be given as part of this directive.
+* '''<nowiki/>'You Shall See and Remember'''' - The box serves as a reminder about giving tzedakah. Additionally: since tzedakah is equal to all mitzvos and brings the geulah closer, seeing the box awakens thoughts about fulfilling all Torah mitzvos.
+* '''Accessibility''' - Since it is customary to give tzedakah daily, and not every day presents an opportunity to give to someone in need, putting a coin in the box enables fulfilling the mitzvah in the most complete way daily.
-The Rebbe explained that tzedakah fosters unity between the giver and the recipient, benefits the giver by fulfilling a mitzvah and creating a vessel for divine blessings, and helps the recipient by providing needed assistance. This principle also underpinned the Rebbe’s practice of distributing dollars for charity, encouraging everyone to take part in this unifying mitzvah.{{Template:The rebbe's Mivtzoim}}
+The special importance of fixing the box to the wall can be seen in the sicha of Tzom Gedaliah 1989, where the Rebbe addressed a 'halachic' question about how to act when staying temporarily in another home regarding fixing the box. The Rebbe said: "They should attach a box to the wall of the house where they are staying in such a way that on Shabbos and Yom Tov it would be forbidden to remove it from the wall, thus making the box part of the house like a box fixed with a nail, but in a way that when they remove the box it won't leave a mark on the wall, and when they return home they should take the box with them and fix it in their home, thus retroactively revealing that the reason they didn't fix it earlier in their home was because they weren't at home."
+== Giving Tzedakah at Every Jewish Meeting ==
+Based on the Frierdiker Rebbe's saying that when two Jews meet they should ensure their meeting brings benefit to another Jew, the Rebbe instructed: Wherever Jews gather they should fulfill this saying starting with the shlichus mitzvah of giving tzedakah. The Rebbe explained his choice of specifically the mitzvah of tzedakah because tzedakah creates unity between the giver and receiver, benefits the giver by fulfilling a mitzvah and creating a vessel for receiving blessing, and benefits the receiver by receiving the tzedakah. This was also the Rebbe's explanation for the purpose of his dollars distribution.
+== See Also ==
+* Tzedakah Box
+* Pledge
+{{Template:The rebbe's Mivtzoim}}
 [[Category:The Ten Mivtzoim]]