The eight levels of צדקה (Tzedakah) described by רבי משה בן מימון (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Rambam) in Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Matanot Aniyim 10:7–14 are indeed arranged from highest to lowest, and the highest level is helping a person become self-sufficient. However, the wording in the graphic simplifies some of the categories.
A more precise version would be:
1. Supporting a person before they become impoverished by giving a loan, entering into a partnership, providing employment, or otherwise strengthening their hand so they no longer need assistance.
2. Giving anonymously when neither donor nor recipient knows the other.
3. Donor knows recipient, recipient does not know donor.
4. Recipient knows donor, donor does not know recipient.
5. Giving before being asked.
6. Giving after being asked.
7. Giving less than appropriate, but willingly.
8. Giving unwillingly or grudgingly.
The explanatory text beneath the graphic is generally accurate. The only phrase I would adjust is:
“The highest tier mandates the immediate restoration of human dignity.”
Rambam does not specifically use the language of “immediate restoration.” Rather, the emphasis is on preventing dependency and enabling independence. A more faithful summary would be:
“The highest tier seeks to preserve a person’s dignity by helping them achieve financial independence before they become dependent on charity.”
One additional observation: many people describe Level 1 simply as “business partnerships with the poor.”
That is only one example. Rambam actually includes several methods—loans, gifts, partnerships, employment, and other forms of support that enable self-sufficiency. The central principle is not the partnership itself; it is restoring independence.
From a Torah perspective, this highest level is powerful because it transforms the recipient from someone who receives into someone who can eventually give. That reflects the ideal expressed in דברים (Devarim) 15, where the goal is not perpetual dependence but strengthening one’s fellow Jew so that he can stand on his own feet.
רםי בן זאב