Jewish tradition teaches us that acts of tzedakah must be done by all, no matter one's economic status. Everyone is responsible to give what they can. In popular culture, this has changed. Many people give all that they can, but the general perception is that one must be very well-off before being able to give tzedakah. Only the rich can afford to give away money. In this way, tzedakah is thought of as a activity only for the privileged.