CHARITY You should give to charity before you pray. This is the way to avoid the extraneous thoughts which come to a person while praying. You will be able to pray properly without straying to the right or the left. You will order and measure your words in the scale of justice (2).
צְדָקָה
א. צָרִיךְ לְהַפְרִישׁ צְדָקָה קֹדֶם הַתְּפִלָּה, וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִצּוֹלִין מִמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה וְיוּכַל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל כָּרָאוּי, שֶׁלֹּא יִטֶה מִן הַצַּד לֹא לְיָמִין וְלֹא לִשְׂמֹאל, רַק יְכַלְכֵּל כָּל דְּבָרָיו בַּמִּשְׁפָּט: (לק"א סי' ב' אות ד')
CHARITY
You should give to charity before you pray. This is the way to avoid the extraneous thoughts which come to a person while praying. You will be able to pray properly without straying to the right or the left. You will order and measure your words in the scale of justice (2).