When a country has various state agencies to service the poor and other disadvantaged people, every citizen has the privilege of participating in the mitzva of tzedaka. However, at the same time, everyone should try to ensure that the rules and regulations encourage those in need to become independent, rather than supporting themselves through stipends (or, even worse, to file false reports in order to receive aid).
Everyone should also try to ensure that the welfare system does not relieve a poor person’s relatives, friends, and neighbors of responsibility. This is both because the obligation to help begins with them, and because they are in a position to do the best job of helping. Since they know this needy person well, and for a longer period of time, they are in a good position to help them find work, save them from making bad financial decisions, and guide their children out of the cycle of poverty.
