Charity: Difference between revisions
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→How much to give
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# It is better to give a lot of poor people a little money, then to give one poor person a lot of money.<ref> Rambam Peirush Hamishnayot Avot 3:15 </ref> | # It is better to give a lot of poor people a little money, then to give one poor person a lot of money.<ref> Rambam Peirush Hamishnayot Avot 3:15 </ref> | ||
# One who gives to charity shouldn't give more than a fifth of his income, so that he doesn't become poor himself during his life; on his death bed, he can give up to 1/3 of his inheritance to charity <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | # One who gives to charity shouldn't give more than a fifth of his income, so that he doesn't become poor himself during his life; on his death bed, he can give up to 1/3 of his inheritance to charity <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | ||
# One is forbidden to turn away a beggar empty-handed, even if one only gives him one fig. If one doesn't have any money, one should comfort him with words <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:8 </ref>. | # One is forbidden to turn away a beggar empty-handed, even if one only gives him one fig. If one doesn't have any money, one should comfort him with words <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:8 </ref>. | ||
#If someone can afford to give a poor person whatever he is lacking he should do so. If that would be in excess of 20% of his money, he does not have to give it, but if he could afford it comfortably it would be a pious act to do so.<ref>Chafetz Chaim (Ahavat Chesed 2:19:4 fnt. s.v. vyaan) explains the Rambam Pirush Mishnayot Peah 1:1 holds that it is an obligation to give up to 20% if one can afford it and not above that. Based on a halacha lmoshe msinai chazal instituted that a person can’t give more than 20% of their wealth for a mitzvah so that he doesn’t become poor. Even so it is a pious act to give more than 20% if one can afford it comfortably. Though he later notes that it sounds like the Rambam in Mishna Torah (Matanot Aniyim 7:5) and Shulchan Aruch 249:1 imply that one should give even more than a fifth. | |||
* Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe YD 1:143) understands that Shulchan Aruch YD 249:1 requires giving more than 20% if he can afford it and there is a poor person’s whose is in need of that money. However, he concludes that the Rama holds that generally it is forbidden to give more than 20% to tzedaka and rules in accordance with the Rama. | |||
* Minchat Yitzchak 5:34, however, argues with Igrot Moshe and holds that it is permitted to give above 20% for someone who can afford it.</ref> | |||
#Some hold it is an obligation to give more than 20% if you can afford it and there are poor people who need it,<ref>Shevet Halevi 2:121</ref> some hold that it is permitted but not obligatory.<Ref>Minchat Yitzchak 5:34:2</ref>, and some that it is forbidden.<ref>Igrot Moshe YD 1:143. Shevet Halevi explains that the reason that it is permitted to give more than 20% is because there is a poor person who is requesting it. That obligation to give him his needs allows giving more than 20% if he can afford it. He thinks that there’s is a prohibition even for someone very wealthy except that it is permitted when there is a pressing tzedaka need, in which case it is an obligation. | |||
* However, the Yavetz 1:3 vamnam and Ahavat Chesed 20:1 hold that it is permitted for someone very wealthy to give more than 20% even for non-tzedaka needs such as for mitzvot. The reason of not spending more than 20% doesn’t apply to someone very wealthy. Chachmat Adam 144:10 implies this as well but Shevet Halevi believes Chachmat Adam holds it is only permitted when there is a pressing tzedaka need.</ref> | |||
#Most poskim hold that someone very wealthy give more than 20%.<ref> Chachmat Adam 144:10, Yavetz 1:3, and Ahavat Chesed 20:1 permit it, Aruch Hashulchan, Igrot Moshe YD 1:143, and Shevet Halevi 2:121 hold it is forbidden. Nonetheless, the Shevet Halevi holds that for a poor person who needs it immediately it is permitted and obligatory to give even more than 20%. Yavetz 1:3 holds that it is permitted to give more than a fifth is there is a present tzedaka need. Minchat Yitzchak 5:34 agrees. Aruch Hashulchan 247:4 holds that it is forbidden to give more than 20% even if there is a poor person in need of tzedaka requesting from him tzedaka.</ref> | |||
==Whom To Give To== | ==Whom To Give To== | ||
