Rambam's “Obligations to the Poor” from the Mishneh Torah help us understand how we should interact with people less fortunate than ourselves. As Professor Isador Twersky said, Maimonides' "[treatment of tzedakah] illustrates the need for sensitivity, tact, and kindness in the act of charity. The formal and objective act of giving charity is deficient and defective if it is not characterized by kindness and sympathy." This connects directly to the chapter of the Mishnah that we have studied in rabbinic literature. The quote said by Professor Twersky highlights not only the physical aspects of giving tzedakah, but also more the idea that we emotionally need to feel a certain way when giving tzedakah. We can't just throw money at the person, but we must be willing to help them with their exact needs, not just what we think they need. If we decide to give to charity but are not kind about it, the donation is ineffective and it is as if we have not fulfilled the mitzvah at all. We will further discuss how this relates to Rambam's obligations to give to the poor below. To begin with, halachah aleph (א) states that it is a positive commandment to give tzedakah to the poor and we should open our hands to them. We should let them live with us as if they were our brothers. In this section Rambam explains that if someone is in need, we have an obligation to help them. This is a general statement; we must be generous and help someone in need. This halachah refers to what Professor Twersky said when he explains that we must help the poor, although he does not directly state how. Twersky is telling us that we must give to the poor; just that he was more specific about how we should feel while giving...middle of paper......I feel bad about not giving to the poor, but I don't always know what they will do with what I give to them. In today's society, some of the money we give them could be used to purchase drugs, alcohol, or something else they may not need. For this reason, I prefer to donate through an organization I trust, so I know that poor people will get the kind of help they need and not just hope they buy the right thing. This way I also find myself in a less risky situation, since I don't know the person, I don't know what he is capable of doing. Rambam addresses all these concerns and explains what we should do in each situation. Next time I see a poor person, I will keep in mind what Rambam said, as well as what Professor Twersky described about keeping in mind how we are performing the action and how it is perceived by the poor person.