Rambam's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It Is Necessary to Give

by Julie Salamon

The Eight Steps of Giving

Nearly a thousand years ago the great philosopher and physician Maimonides, known to Hebrew scholars as Rambam, pondered the question of righteousness Out of it came the Ladder of Charity.

Rambam's Ladder, written by Julie Salamon, the bestselling author and New York Times culture writer, is a book that will inspire every reader to get a toehold on the ladder and start climbing. In eight chapters, one for each rung, the book helps us navigate the world of giving. How much to give? How do we know if our gifts are being used wisely? Is it bettter to give anonymously? Along the way, Rambam's Ladder will help all of us make our lives, and the lives of those around us, better.

Genres: Nonfiction, Jewish, Religion, Philosophy

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2003

About the author

Julie Salamon has written thirteen books in many genres, including Unlikely Friends, an Audible Original released summer 2021. Her new children's book One More Story, Tata, illustrated by Jill Weber, was published by Astra's Minerva imprint in July 2024. Her latest book, scheduled for release in April, 2026, isThe Ghosts of 10th Avenue, a nonfiction book for The Penguin Pres, that involves the crisis of urban homelessness and its intersection with history. Julie's other books include New York Times bestsellers Wendy and the Lost Boys and The Christmas Tree (illustrated by Jill Weber) as well as Hospital, The Devil’s Candy, Facing the Wind , The Net of Dreams , Innocent Bystander and Rambam’s Ladder. She has written two children's books, Mutt's Promise, and Cat in the City, also illustrated by Jill Weber. Julie was a reporter and then the film critic for The Wall Street Journal and then a television critic and reporter on the staff of the New York Times. Julie is a graduate of Tufts University and New York University School of Law. She is chair of the BRC, a social services organization in New York City that provides care for people who are homeless and may suffer from addiction or mental disease.. Born in Cincinnati and raised in Seaman, Ohio, a rural town of 800; in 2008 she was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame. New York City has long been home; she lives in downtown Manhattan with her husband Bill Abrams, executive director of Trickle Up. They have two children, Roxie and Eli, and a dog named Frankie, most recent in a long line of feline and canine friends.

Reviews

[Kressel Housman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my religious Jewish friends here know, “Rambam” is an acronym for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, also known as Maimonides, one of the most influential Torah scholars of all time. He lived in Spain and the Middle East in the 12th century, yet his works are still read today. One of his most famous teachings is on charity, and that is the focus of this book. The Rambam enumerated eight levels of charity, in which setting someone up for independence is at the top and giving begrudgingly is at the bottom. Author Julie Salamon uses the metaphor of a ladder to describe this list, but instead of going from top to bottom as the Rambam does, she explores each level from the bottom up, as though we readers are on a journey of self-improvement. She doesn't seem to be Orthodox, but she definitely has positive Jewish values. Actually, her secular influences make the book more interesting. She intersperses the traditional teachings with examples of modern-day philanthropy, drawing from a wider variety of sources than you'd encounter in a typical frum book.

Inspiring as I found her examples and stories, I have to say that the book is somewhat dated. It was written in the early 2000’s when the economy was still booming. Without the perspective of the ’08 crash, the author's faith in the positive side of capitalism seemed a bit naïve. She dedicates one chapter to the subject of corruption, but that raised other problems. Its connection back to the Rambam seemed more of a stretch than the other chapters. I appreciate her point that the Rambam's value of anonymity was a prevention against corruption, but since the main focus of the chapter was a particular scandal, it felt like she was trying to force a connection just to be able to tell the story.

These two faults aside, charity is among the most admirable of human traits, and since most people love reading about humans at their best, they're likely to find this book both inspiring and accessible. Recommended.

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would have probably been better as a long article in a publication like Table or The Forward.The problem is that what pads it out to book-length is the author's personal story which, and I admit this is my problem, I am not interested in. I wanted to learn about Maimonides' ideas of charity and Salamon illustrates this with examples from her own life. I understand why this was done, but it strikes me as slightly solipsistic. It was not as bad as the ghastly My Wondering Year by Pogrebin, but it veers dangerously in that direction.

But she knows her stuff, that's for sure, and I did learn something.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've been trying to read, talk, and think more about giving and philanthropy, as have others on my team at work. i liked this book because it's a good counterbalance to the ultra-utilitarian "effective altruism" framework that a lot of folks have been throwing around (although I do want to read Peter Singer et al soon). the concept of the ladder is of different "levels" of giving, which differ based on the giver's motivation, how the giver feels, how the receiver is treated, etc. i would call it a good framework to start conversation but definitely not exhaustive.

[Jacob Wechsler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read on Maimonides philosophy on charity. It didn't fully ever capture me, not sure if it was the content or writings style.

I enjoyed reading testimonies and first hand experiences but it I wish there were more thought provoking questions in order for me to reflect and see what I would do in a certain situations.

Overall a decent book but not one I plan to reread in the future.

[Avery Stempel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book that details Maimonides’ philosophy on giving. Why do we give? How do we? What can you afford to provide others with opportunities? Thought provoking... but scattered at times...

[Tanuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Jenol Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s easy to read. Lots of facts and history provided on what it is to give to others for everyone throughout history.

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very short book combines brief descriptions of Maimonides's views on charity with brief vignettes of various charitable organizations (both worthy and not-so-worthy).

I have to admit I didn't find most of this book that interesting; if it was a longer book, I probably would not have bothered to finish it. However, it was of some value for me because it described some worthwhile organizations that I should support, and because it had a few (though not as many as I would have liked) interesting points. In particular, I liked:

*her comparison of Maimonides to modern conservatives. Maimonides emphasized the importance of not embarrassing the poor, while today's conservatives are more likely to emphasize that people should be too proud to accept relief. But a better book would have analyzed why the latter view is so common today, by explaining why the 20th-century American welfare system became so unpopular.

*Her comparison of American and British charity. British charity, according to a study she cites, tends to be more altruistic: British are more likely to give to the poor and the hungry of faraway lands, while Americans tend to support the sort of things that benefit middle-class Americans (e.g. religious charities and the arts). She doesn't directly condemn our attitudes, letting the (apparent) facts speak for themselves.

*Her explanation of why Maimonides prefers anonymous charity. She suggests that because Maimonides' first priority is teaching us that righteousness should be its own reward, he believes in giving that avoids praise or the potential for hurt feelings.

[Jeff Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher and physician during the Middle Ages, also known as Rambam, created a ladder of charity. Each of the eight rungs on the ladder represented a step toward more compassionate response to those in need. The bottom rung is the one who gives reluctantly and in a begrudging manner. Next would be the person who gives just a little, not enough, but in a friendly manner. Then there is one who gives when asked, then before being asked, then giving without knowing who the gift is for, then giving anonymously, then giving whether neither the one in need nor the giver knows one another. The highest run on the ladder is the one who helps lift the needy out of poverty by helping them start a business, giving them a job, or going in partnership with them.

Salamon, in this book, goes through each step. With numerous examples, many from her own life (such as avoiding beggars along the New York Streets, then befriending one…), she illustrates each step.

I recommend this book for those interested in becoming more generous. It would be an especially helpful book for someone speaking about generosity as she provides so many stories for illustration.

[MaryKay]

The eight steps are:

Reluctance-to give begrudgingly;

Proportion-to give less than is proper;

Solicitation-to give to the poor after being asked;

Shame-to hand money to the poor before being asked, at the risk of invoking feelings of shame in the recipient;

Boundaries-giving to someone you don’t know, but allowing your name to be used;

Corruption- to give to someone you know, but who doesn’t know from whom the help comes;

Anonymity-giving to someone you don’t know and doing so anonymously;

Responsibility-at the top of the ladder is the gift of self-reliance. This involves handing someone a gift or a loan, or entering into a partnership with him or finding work for him, so that he will never have to beg again.

Favorite quotes:
p.34 "You can kill the soul of a person by giving him an insincere smile while administering your bounty."

from: http://www.fairshareinternational.org...

[Melsene G · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just okay-it was a quick read describing 12th century figure Rabbi Moses ben Maimon's, aka Rambam, 8 step program of charity and giving. From the bottom up: Reluctance, Proportion, Solicitation, Shame, Boundaries, Corruption, Anonymity, and Responsibility. I found there were too many negative references to so called conservatives, and a general underlying disdain for anyone who doesnt fit in with the author's NY liberal bubble mentality. I was curious why she failed to mention the New Testament and Jesus's message of responsibility and teaching men to fish. Too much of an apologist for Americans, contrary to their generous giving history. Her other book about Brooklyn's Maimonides Medical Center was a much better read.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. It creates a paradigm and categorizes giving levels in a way that was enlightening but I'm not sure I totally agree with. It gave me nothing I could sink my teeth into, as a giver or as a fundraiser.

The paradigm:
We have a complicated relationship with giving, and truth is, one of the biggest reasons we do it is because it makes us feel good. "In Jewish law attitudes of the giver can be more important than the amount of money involved."

But at the end of the day, how much does it matter? (...except before God on Judgment Day? And how does it inform giving and receiving?

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitelyl not a "how to" book that will resolve all the complex issues surrounding giving including to whom we should give and how much. However, it does provide a thoughtful framework in which to examine those feelings about charity: why we give, why we should give, ways to think about the breadth and depth of our giving. My questions about giving still remain but I now feel better armed to answer them in the context of my own life.

[Celeste · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a look at the moral heirarchy of philantropy. It takes examples from NYC and 9/11 and measures them against the Rabbi Rambam's writings. It was thought provoking and helped me at least label my thoughts about giving and the "needy". The low rating is because this book me too long to read and sometimes the examples weren't well linked to the Rabbi's concept.

[Daughters Of Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does the teacher Maimonides teach about generosity and how can it be applied to modern life? Journalist Julie Salamon sets out to answer that question.
This is a good conversation starter on generosity as it is practiced in our faiths.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be painful. If I was not instructed to read it by my Rabbi I would have never picked it up. Needless to say the Rabbi was right, it is a worthwhile read if you struggle with charity, loving kindness, tzedakah.

[Nina Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great! Have given away one copy as a gift - so far.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting topic that probably doesn't require a book to explain. Bill Clinton's "Giving" is a more comprehensive albeit largely secular treatment of the topic.