220. How Much to Give

34:3 A needy person must be given enough to meet his needs. This applies to a poor person who receives charity in secret; the people of the city must collectively enable him to reach his standard of living from before he became poor. One who goes collecting door-to-door, however, must only be given a small amount. Each day, he should be able to raise at least enough to pay for two meals and a place to sleep. We must likewise support non-Jewish poor in order to encourage harmony.

34:4 In the first year, a person should give one-tenth of his principle to charity; each subsequent year, he should give one-tenth of his profit. This is what an average person would give, though one-fifth of these is better than one-tenth. More than a fifth is not good because a person should not deplete his own resources. One his deathbed, however, a person may give up to one-third of his property to charity. This ten percent (maaser) should be given to poor people and not used for mitzvos, such as supplying candles to one’s shul. However, if one needs the money to perform a mitzvah that arises, such as circumcising a child or helping a needy couple to marry, or if one intends to purchase religious texts to use and lend to others, he may use this money if necessary. In such a case the books must be made available to others but not when he needs them as his own needs take precedence. One should write in these books that they were purchased with maaser money so that his heirs will not treat them as if they were his personal property.