Charity: Difference between revisions
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→How Much Should the Poor Receive?
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* Igrot Moshe OC 5:41 argues that it is forbidden even if he has a steady income and pidyon haben is different since the mitzvah itself is giving the cash. However, other mitzvot for which the cash itself isn’t the object used for the mitzvah, there is a 20% cap on trying to acquire the mitzvah. Also, Chazon Ish OC 149:3 answers that pidyon haben is different since there’s an obligation on one’s property to pay for pidyon haben.</ref> | * Igrot Moshe OC 5:41 argues that it is forbidden even if he has a steady income and pidyon haben is different since the mitzvah itself is giving the cash. However, other mitzvot for which the cash itself isn’t the object used for the mitzvah, there is a 20% cap on trying to acquire the mitzvah. Also, Chazon Ish OC 149:3 answers that pidyon haben is different since there’s an obligation on one’s property to pay for pidyon haben.</ref> | ||
==How Much | ==How Much to Give Each Poor Person== | ||
===Whatever He Needs=== | ===Whatever He Needs=== | ||
#The obligation to | #The maximal obligation of tzedaka is to provide the poor with whatever he needs. Many poskim hold that this is a communal obligation. If an individual is requested he is allowed to ask the congregation on his behalf to fill all of his needs.<Ref>Rama 250:1 writes that the obligation of supplying the poor with all of his needs applies to the community and not the individual. Therefore, if an individual is approached by a poor person he can tell the community to help him for whatever he lacks. This is based on the Bet Yosef 250:1. However, the Bet Yosef considers the Tur who assume otherwise. Bach 250:2 and Gra 250:3 disagree with the Rama while the Shach 250:1 defends the Rama. Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 5 cites both approaches. [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=8978&pgnum=63 Tzedaka Umishpat 3:2] rules like the Rama. In fnt. 8 he says from Rashi the requested has to go to the gabbay tzedaka or community and can’t force the poor person to do that.</ref> | ||
===Capital to Subsist=== | ====Capital to Subsist==== | ||
# A poor person is allowed to collect enough tzedaka in order to be able to start a business in order to have a steady income. Someone who is sick or can't work for another reason can collect enough tzedaka in order to invest that capital in a CD and live off the interest.<ref>Tur and Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 253:2</ref> For example, a widow with young children to take care of, since she is not in a position to work, may collect a substantial amount in order to support herself.<ref>Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 21</ref> | # A poor person is allowed to collect enough tzedaka in order to be able to start a business in order to have a steady income. Someone who is sick or can't work for another reason can collect enough tzedaka in order to invest that capital in a CD and live off the interest.<ref>Tur and Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 253:2</ref> For example, a widow with young children to take care of, since she is not in a position to work, may collect a substantial amount in order to support herself.<ref>Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 21</ref> | ||
===Unexpected Expenses=== | ====Unexpected Expenses==== | ||
# A person who has a steady income to support themselves and their family but unexpectedly has a large expense (e.g. medical or marriage of child) is considered poor with respect to that expense.<ref>Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 22</ref> | # A person who has a steady income to support themselves and their family but unexpectedly has a large expense (e.g. medical or marriage of child) is considered poor with respect to that expense.<ref>Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 22</ref> | ||
===Not Turning Away a Poor Person Empty-Handed=== | |||
# One is forbidden to turn away a beggar empty-handed, even if one only gives him a very small amount of money.<ref>Derech Emunah 7:5 understands that one should give something even if it is as small as a fig implies that it can be even less than a pruta.</ref> If one doesn't have any money, one should comfort him with words.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:8 </ref> Therefore, a should budget himself not to give out all of his tzedaka at once so that he has a little bit of tzedaka available throughout the year.<ref>Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser p. 12</ref> | |||
===Knocking on the Doors or in Shul=== | |||
# The community should supply a poor person who asks in private the amount he is lacking with respect to his previous standard of living. However, to a poor person who is knocking on doors the community only needs to give him money for 2 meals and a place to stay.<Ref>Kitzur S”A 34:3 </ref> | |||
# An individual who is requested for tzedaka by someone poor, if the poor person is going around to many people to collect whether at their houses or in shul, an individual does not have to give more than a small amount that is less than the value of a meal.<ref>Bava Batra 9a establishes that a poor person collecting from many people in the community is only entitled to a small gift. The Tur 250:3 explains that the Rosh understands that this only applies to the communal fund but everyone else doesn't even have to give that amount. However, the Tur concludes like the Rambam that everyone needs to give that amount. Bet Yosef explains that even the Rambam agrees with the Rosh. Bach 250:2 accepts the Tur and Rambam that it applies to everyone. Shach 250:4 and Badei Hashulchan 250:29 agree. Bet Yosef 250:3 sides with the opinion of Tosfot and Rosh that a large amount is a mealsworth, so a small amount is less than that.</ref> In fact it is sufficient to give any amount that the poor person would consider to have some significance.<ref>Badei Hashulchan 250:28</ref> | |||
# It is wrong to stop poor people from collecting by knocking at doors.<ref>Badei Hashulchan 250:30 citing Ahavat Chesed 2:17 fnt. s.v. vchadashim</ref> | |||
==Refraining from Taking Tzedaka== | ==Refraining from Taking Tzedaka== | ||
# A person should endeavor to refrain from taking charity and endure some hardship in order not to take charity. Chazal state that it is preferable to make your [[Shabbat]] meal like a weekday rather than take from charity. (See the [[Kavod Shabbat]] page for the practical laws about how a poor person should fulfill [[Kavod Shabbat]].) Anyone who presses himself to live with difficulty without taking charity is blessed to one day have enough money to support others.<ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:15-16</ref> | # A person should endeavor to refrain from taking charity and endure some hardship in order not to take charity. Chazal state that it is preferable to make your [[Shabbat]] meal like a weekday rather than take from charity. (See the [[Kavod Shabbat]] page for the practical laws about how a poor person should fulfill [[Kavod Shabbat]].) Anyone who presses himself to live with difficulty without taking charity is blessed to one day have enough money to support others.<ref>Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:15-16</ref> | ||
