Tzedakah is the practice of generosity. When you practice generosity you open the circle of self and become aware of the larger whole in which the self rests. In time you recognize the interdependence of all beings, giving not out of pity, but out of moral obligation. It is the sense of obligation that maintains tzedakah's connection to justice. When giving tzedakah, know that "it is not really me who is giving, but God; I am simply the vehicle of transfer." When receiving tzedakah, know that God is offering you an opportunity to live so that you may devote your deeds to goodness.

Rami Shapiro, Minyan