The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Vayigash, presents a number of guidelines concerning the preferred way to give charity (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He writes that whenever one gives charity, he should do so while standing, for reasons related to Sod (Kabbalistic teaching). Additionally, when a poor person comes to one’s home to collect charity, it is preferable not to give him directly, but rather to give the money to another member of the household who should then give it to the person collecting. Giving charity has a certain "Tikkun," an effect in the upper worlds, which occurs through an intermediary. It is therefore proper to give charity through an intermediary to correspond to the effects that charity has in the upper worlds.
When a person gives charity, the coin corresponds to the letter "Yod" at the beginning of the Divine Name of "Havaya." The donor’s hand – which contains five fingers – corresponds to the letter "Heh," his arm corresponds to the letter "Vav," and the recipient’s hand corresponds to the letter "Heh," such that by giving charity one completes the divine Name, so-to-speak. The question arises as to how one can fulfill this aspect of charity when placing money in a charity box, as is customary each morning during Pesukeh De’zimra, when one recites the words "Ve’Ata Moshel Ba’kol." How can one complete the divine Name if he does not place the money in the recipient’s hand, which corresponds to the final letter "Heh" in the divine Name?
The Ben Ish Hai writes that one should carry with him at all times a special charity pouch, and he should give charity by placing the money with his right hand into the pouch which he holds in his left hand. In this manner, the left hand serves as the hand of the poor person, to complete the divine Name. If a person does not have a pouch, then he should simply place the money directly into his left hand, and then place the money into the charity box.
The Ben Ish Hai mentions in this context the practice of his father, Rabbi Eliyahu of Baghdad, who carried around a special charity pouch and placed money in the pouch several times every day. The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) wrote that it is preferable to perform a Misva more frequently in small installments, rather than to perform a Misva more intensively at less frequent intervals. Thus, it is preferable to give small amounts to charity frequently throughout the day, rather than give larger amounts less frequently, and therefore it is an admirable practice to carry around a special charity pouch and place coins in it several times a day.
The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) made a point of giving charity each day before the Shaharit prayer – while reciting the words "Ve’Ata Moshel Ba’kol" in Pesukeh De’zimra - and also before the Minha prayer. He would not, however, give charity before Arbit, because he maintained that the nighttime hours are not an appropriate time for giving charity. The nighttime period is a time of harsh judgment, and it is therefore not suitable for charity. This custom is recorded by the Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806), in his Birkeh Yosef (Orah Haim 235:1, Yoreh De’a 247:2). The Sha’ar Ha’kavanot likewise writes that the primary time for giving charity is in the morning, before Shaharit, and that giving charity in the afternoon is acceptable, though not as a crucial as in the morning. Nighttime, however, is not an appropriate time for charity. This Halacha is codified in Yalkut Yosef (Shulhan Ha’ma’arechet, p. 394; listen to audio recording for precise citation).
The Hid"a, in his work Kiseh Rahamim, writes that even if a person prays Arbit before sundown, he should not give charity before Arbit.
Summary: It is preferable to give charity while standing, and to give the money to another person who then gives it to the person collecting. If one places charity in a charity box, he should first place the coins with his right hand into his left hand, and then place the money in the box. It is an admirable practice to carry around a special charity pouch and place coins into the pouch several times every day. It is preferable to give charity during the daytime hours, and not during the nighttime hours.
