Throughout the entire Jerusalem Talmud, the mitzva of charity is referred to simply as “the mitzva,” for the unmodified expression “the mitzva” was commonly used in reference to the mitzva of charity.
Whenever the Jerusalem Talmud refers to an unspecified mitzva, such as when discussing an individual who is actually performing a mitzva or merely thinking about one, the intent is inevitably the mitzva of charity and its various offshoots.
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz