Charity: Difference between revisions
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→Checking Certificates of the Poor
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#If he doesn’t have anything to give the poor person he should nonetheless try to appease the poor person, empathize with his troubles, and express regret for not having anything to give.<ref>Derech Emunah 7:49</ref> | #If he doesn’t have anything to give the poor person he should nonetheless try to appease the poor person, empathize with his troubles, and express regret for not having anything to give.<ref>Derech Emunah 7:49</ref> | ||
===Checking Certificates of the Poor=== | ===Checking Certificates of the Poor=== | ||
# If someone has a certificate signed by a rabbi that he is entitled to collect tzedaka you should give him tzedaka and not worry that it is possibly forged.<ref>Mishna Halachot 13:173. The institution of having letters to confirm that a poor person is indeed poor is sourced in the Mordechai (Bava Batra 497) cited by Bet Yosef 253:12.</ref> | # If someone has a certificate signed by a rabbi that he is entitled to collect tzedaka you should give him tzedaka and not worry that it is possibly forged.<ref>Mishna Halachot 13:173, Darkei Noam p. 396 fnt. 32 quoting Rav Aviner. The institution of having letters to confirm that a poor person is indeed poor is sourced in the Mordechai (Bava Batra 497) cited by Bet Yosef 253:12.</ref> | ||
#Before giving tzedaka, besides food, you need to check that the poor person is honest and really needs the money.<ref>Bava Batra 9a, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 251:10, Rama 256:1. Psakim Vteshuvot 251:15 writes that we should rely on the minhag to give to anyone with a valid certificate that says that they can collect money. He says that the decrees set by local rabbis sometimes to disallow anyone without a proper certificate from a local rabbi or local bet din is forbidden. He quotes this from Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg and Mishna Halachot 13:173. Rav Elyashiv in Kovetz Teshuvot 4:123 writes that we should insist to check and not rely on every certificate because there are many who aren't honest. Rif bava batra 6b and Rosh hold that you need two witnesses, Piskei Din Yerushalayim Dinei Mamonot Vbirurei Yahadut v. 3 p. 157 rules accordingly that it is necessary to ascertain the integrity of the poor person with two witnesses otherwise they should not be given anything.</ref> | #Before giving tzedaka, besides food, you need to check that the poor person is honest and really needs the money.<ref>Bava Batra 9a, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 251:10, Rama 256:1. Psakim Vteshuvot 251:15 writes that we should rely on the minhag to give to anyone with a valid certificate that says that they can collect money. He says that the decrees set by local rabbis sometimes to disallow anyone without a proper certificate from a local rabbi or local bet din is forbidden. He quotes this from Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg and Mishna Halachot 13:173. Rav Elyashiv in Kovetz Teshuvot 4:123 writes that we should insist to check and not rely on every certificate because there are many who aren't honest. Rif bava batra 6b and Rosh hold that you need two witnesses, Piskei Din Yerushalayim Dinei Mamonot Vbirurei Yahadut v. 3 p. 157 rules accordingly that it is necessary to ascertain the integrity of the poor person with two witnesses otherwise they should not be given anything.</ref> | ||
# Some hold that obligation to investigate a poor person applies to communal charity funds, but if an individual is requested for tzedaka he shouldn't check if the poor person is honest before giving to him.<ref>Mishna Halachot 13:173 writes that it is forbidden to embarrass the poor in order to check if they're honest. One should give them even if they won't have any proof that they're poor. His explains that the concept of checking that a poor person is honest applies only to the communal funds. | # Some hold that obligation to investigate a poor person applies to communal charity funds, but if an individual is requested for tzedaka he shouldn't check if the poor person is honest before giving to him.<ref>Mishna Halachot 13:173 writes that it is forbidden to embarrass the poor in order to check if they're honest. One should give them even if they won't have any proof that they're poor. His explains that the concept of checking that a poor person is honest applies only to the communal funds. | ||
* Other sources that don't insist on checking poor: The Yosef Ometz (v. 2 ch. Tzedaka n. 6) writes that it is permitted to give tzedaka to whoever requests it without checking if they're honest. See also Shraga Hameir 3:3:5 and Even Yisrael 9:92:5. Even Yisrael seems to be lenient if we know that he needs money but isn't clear how we know that. B'orach Tzedaka 5:25 cites this.</ref> Some seem to disagree that the concept of checking out the poor person applies both to the communal funds and the individual giving to the poor.<ref>See Kovetz Teshuvot 4:123</ref> | * Other sources that don't insist on checking poor: The Yosef Ometz (v. 2 ch. Tzedaka n. 6) writes that it is permitted to give tzedaka to whoever requests it without checking if they're honest. See also Shraga Hameir 3:3:5 and Even Yisrael 9:92:5. Even Yisrael seems to be lenient if we know that he needs money but isn't clear how we know that. B'orach Tzedaka 5:25 cites this.</ref> Some seem to disagree that the concept of checking out the poor person applies both to the communal funds and the individual giving to the poor.<ref>Rav Shlomo Aviner in Sheilat Shlomo 3:286 writes that even an individual does not need to give tzedaka unless he knows that the poor person is honest. If he has a certificate you can trust him (Darkei Noam p. 396 fnt. 32 quoting Rav Aviner). See Kovetz Teshuvot 4:123 who also seems to apply the concept of checking that he is honest to individuals.</ref> | ||
# It is forbidden to institute that a poor person can't collect from the community by knocking on doors or in the shuls because the institution of having a communal fund is supposed to help the poor but not remove their right to request individuals for tzedaka. Also, it would be a terrible thing if the individuals aren't involved in giving out tzedaka at all.<ref>Mishna Halachot 13:173. He quotes a letter from Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg who agreed with him. Psakim Vteshuvot 251:15 quotes this.</ref> | # It is forbidden to institute that a poor person can't collect from the community by knocking on doors or in the shuls because the institution of having a communal fund is supposed to help the poor but not remove their right to request individuals for tzedaka. Also, it would be a terrible thing if the individuals aren't involved in giving out tzedaka at all.<ref>Mishna Halachot 13:173. He quotes a letter from Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg who agreed with him. Psakim Vteshuvot 251:15 quotes this.</ref> | ||
