Aruch HaShulchan, Laws of Tzedakah 251:2
ערוך השולחן יורה דעה הלכות צדקה סימן רנא סעיף ב
וז"ל הרמב"ם בפ"י [הל' ט"ז] והטור והש"ע סעי' ג' הנותן לבניו ובנותיו הגדולים שאינו חייב במזונותיהם כדי ללמד את הבנים תורה ולהנהיג את הבנות בדרך ישרה וכן הנותן מתנות לאביו והם צריכים להם ה"ז בכלל צדקה ולא עוד אלא שצריך להקדימו לאחרים ואפילו אינו בנו ולא אביו אלא קרובו צריך להקדימו לכל אדם ואחיו מאביו קודם לאחיו מאמו ועניי ביתו קודמין לעניי עירו ועניי עירו קודמין לעניי עיר אחרת עכ"ל ועניי עירו מקרי אותם הדרים בעיר והבאים מעיר אחרת לכאן נקראים עניי עיר אחרת אף שהם עתה בכאן ויש חולקים בזה והטור הכריע כדיעה ראשונה
This is the language of the Rambam and the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch: One gives to their adult sons and daughters, even if one is not obligated to feed them, in order to teach them Torah and train them to act in a righteous manner. And similarly, if one gives a present to their parents and they need [the gift], this is in the category of tzedakah. Furthermore, one must prioritize their parents over other people, and this is true for [prioritizing] other relatives as well. Even if [the relative] is not your child, nor are you their parent, but just another relative, you must prioritize them before any other person. And your sibling from your father’s side precedes your sibling from your mother, and the poor of your house precede the poor of your city, and the poor of your city precede the poor of another city - until here are their words. And the poor of your city are those who reside in your city. Those poor who come to your city from another city - they are considered the poor of another city even though they are currently with you, but many disagree with this. [Translation by AJWS]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. Why do we create a hierarchy in giving among our relatives? What does this accomplish?

2. Why does the Aruch HaShulchan add the last clause about the poor of another city that currently reside in your city? What does this contribute to our understand of hierarchies of giving?

3. How should we treat the poor of another city if they are not properly cared for by their own neighbors? Would this affect the Aruch HaShulchan’s perspective?

Time Period: Modern (Spinoza through post-WWII)