225. Giving Properly

34:13 One should try to give charity privately rather than publicly as much as he is able to do so. If possible, one should donate in such a way that he doesn’t know who the recipient is and the recipient doesn’t know who the donor is. At the least, one should not brag about the charity he has given. It is considered appropriate, however, for a person who charitably dedicates an item (such as to a shul or a school) to inscribe his name on it as a memorial. This practice is not frowned upon.

34:14 It is especially important to care for needy Torah scholars and to give them according to their honor. If a scholar refuses charity, we should facilitate him in business. For example, we should sell to him at a low price and buy from him at a good profit margin. If he has business savvy, he should be lent money to invest in a business. The Talmud in Pesachim (53b) says that one who supplies a Torah scholar with the means to earn a living merits for himself a special place in Heaven.