Charity: Difference between revisions
From Halachipedia
→Communal Obligation of Charity Funds
| Line 269: | Line 269: | ||
==Communal Obligation of Charity Funds== | ==Communal Obligation of Charity Funds== | ||
#There is a communal obligation to establish a charity fund for all the poor people of the town.<ref>Rambam (Matanot Aniyim 9:1) writes that it is an obligation of a city to establish a communal charity fund for the poor of the city that is distributed once a week. Radvaz explains that it is an obligation of the city like every communal need such as building a shul which can be imposed on all of the community members. Gra YD 256:1 agrees.</ref> Some communities have a food pantry or soup kitchen which serves the poor, but a community can choose not to have such a service and support the poor in other ways.<ref>Rambam (Matanot Aniyim 9:2-3) writes that we establish a communal food fund (‘’tamchuy’’), however, the practice in many communities is only to have a communal charity food (‘’kupa’’) and not a food fund. Radvaz explains that it is acceptable for the community to choose how to distribute the funds because it is up to them to redistribute it (Matanot Aniyim 9:7). Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 256:1 codifies the Rambam.</ref> | #There is a communal obligation to establish a charity fund for all the poor people of the town.<ref>Rambam (Matanot Aniyim 9:1) writes that it is an obligation of a city to establish a communal charity fund for the poor of the city that is distributed once a week. Radvaz explains that it is an obligation of the city like every communal need such as building a shul which can be imposed on all of the community members. Gra YD 256:1 agrees.</ref> Some communities have a food pantry or soup kitchen which serves the poor, but a community can choose not to have such a service and support the poor in other ways.<ref>Rambam (Matanot Aniyim 9:2-3) writes that we establish a communal food fund (‘’tamchuy’’), however, the practice in many communities is only to have a communal charity food (‘’kupa’’) and not a food fund. Radvaz explains that it is acceptable for the community to choose how to distribute the funds because it is up to them to redistribute it (Matanot Aniyim 9:7). Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 256:1 codifies the Rambam.</ref> | ||
===Gabbay Tzedaka=== | |||
# A community should establish a trustworthy gabbay to collect and distribute the communal tzedaka funds.<ref>Bava Batra 10b remarks that a person shouldn't give to a tzedaka fund unless someone like Rabbi Chanina Ben Tradiyon is the gabbay tzedaka. Tosfot s.v. elah explains that he should be trustworthy by Rabbi Chanina but it isn't a prerequisite that he is as much of a tzaddik as Rabbi Chanina. Rambam (Matanot Aniyim 9:1) and Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 256:1 codify this gemara. Bet Yosef 249:6 notes that language of the Tur that the gabbay tzedaka should be wise and trustworthy like Rabbi Chanina. He writes that the minhag isn't to insist that the gabbay is wise in Torah as long as he is wise in being a gabbay of tzedaka. Igrot Moshe YD 1:144 s.v. heneh writes that a person should not give to an organization that the collectors aren't religious. Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 37 agrees that one should not give to organizations that do not follow the dictates of the Torah.</ref> | |||
===Earmarked Funds=== | ===Earmarked Funds=== | ||
# A community may not redistribute charity funds that were earmarked for a certain cause.<ref>Rambam (responsa Blau 206), Rama YD 256:4</ref> | # A community may not redistribute charity funds that were earmarked for a certain cause.<ref>Rambam (responsa Blau 206), Rama YD 256:4</ref> | ||
