Tzedakah box

The earliest mention of a tzedakah box is in connection with the priest Jehoiada, who crafted a chest with a hole in its lid, positioning it next to the altar's main entrance on the southern side of the Temple.

[2] Historically, synagogues and batei midrash were equipped with sets of tzedakah boxes, each bearing an inscription to indicate the designated purpose for the collected funds.

Finally, a special box bore the inscription mattan ba-seter ('a secret gift'), into which substantial sums were often contributed by anonymous benefactors who sometimes specified the intended distribution of the funds.

Tzedakah boxes are also found prominently in private residences and businesses to garner support for charitable causes.

A common practice is for children to receive money weekly to place into the tzedakah box just before Shabbat.