Charity: Difference between revisions
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→Maaser Kesafim
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# If one has financial difficulty one should stipulate from the beginning that one will only give Maaser after having subtracted all of one’s expenses from one’s incomes. <Ref>Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A YD 247:10) </ref> | # If one has financial difficulty one should stipulate from the beginning that one will only give Maaser after having subtracted all of one’s expenses from one’s incomes. <Ref>Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S”A YD 247:10) </ref> | ||
'''For Ashkenazim''': | '''For Ashkenazim''': | ||
# The first year, one takes 1/10th of his principle. From then on, one takes 1/10th of the total of one's income | # The first year, one takes 1/10th of his principle. From then on, one takes 1/10th of the total of one's income.<ref> Shulchan Aruch YD 249:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref> Most poskim hold that you do not deduct living expenses before calculating 1/10th of one's income to be given as maaser.<ref>Avkat Rochel 3 holds that after the first year, where one takes 1/10 of one's capital, afterwards one only takes 1/10 of the income each year after having paid for all living expenses such as food and clothing. Yachava Daat 3:76 cites many who agree with the Avkat Rochel; this is also the opinion of the Knesset Hagedola 249:1, Shoel Vnishal 2;160, Kinyan Torah 102:4, Mahari Shtif 56, Toafot Reem 91, Yismach Levav, and Tzitz Eliezer 10:6. Others including the Tashbetz 2:131, Chida (Birkei Yosef 249:5) and Bet Dino Shel Shlomo 1 51a disagree and hold that living expenses are not deducted before taking maaser. Minchat Yitzchak 6:101 is strict. Rav Ovadia Yosef (Yachava Daat 3:76) is lenient if a person is under financial pressure. Aruch Hashulchan 247:7 holds like the Chida that living expenses are not excluded. | ||
* There are different texts of Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4. In the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch with Piskei Haadmor Hazakan (5752) and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch with Piskei Hagram Eliyahu (5770) it has that text of חוץ מצרכי ביתו. [https://www.sefaria.org/Kitzur_Shulchan_Arukh.34.4?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en Sefaria] also has that text. Tzitz Eliezer 10:1 cites Kitzur Shulchan Aruch with that text. In older ones, like the Vilna 5690 edition has it. However, many older ones do not have this text including the Ir Dovid edition (Leipzig 5684), Marah Makom edition (5688 New York), and Misgeret Hashulchan edition (Grosverdin 5702) do not have that text. Shaarei Shalom edition (Yerushalayim 5738) doesn't have it and in fnt. 14 notes that he is skeptical of whether the text is authentic.</ref> | |||
# The standard obligation is 1/10 but the choicest Mitzvah is to give 1/5th of one's income to tzedaka.<ref> Shulchan Aruch YD 249:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref> One shouldn't give more than a 1/5 so that one doesn't become poor himself except before he is going to die.<ref>Ketubot 67b, Rama YD 249:1</ref> | # The standard obligation is 1/10 but the choicest Mitzvah is to give 1/5th of one's income to tzedaka.<ref> Shulchan Aruch YD 249:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref> One shouldn't give more than a 1/5 so that one doesn't become poor himself except before he is going to die.<ref>Ketubot 67b, Rama YD 249:1</ref> | ||
# If someone losses money by losing it or theft it can be deducted from one's earnings of the year before calculating maaser.<ref>The Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser (p. 140)</ref> | # If someone losses money by losing it or theft it can be deducted from one's earnings of the year before calculating maaser.<ref>The Laws of Tzedakah and Maaser (p. 140)</ref> | ||
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What to do with the Ma'aser money? | What to do with the Ma'aser money? | ||
# This money should go to the poor, not for some other purpose, e.g. giving candles to a shul <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | # This money should go to the poor, not for some other purpose, e.g. giving candles to a shul <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | ||
# If one had the opportunity to | # If one had the opportunity to help a poor bride and groom get married or to buy Sefarim to learn and lend to others to learn, if he couldn't otherwise do those Mitzvos with his own money, without the Ma'aser money, he can use the Ma'aser money for these purposes.<ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | ||
# However, if one buys books with Ma'aser money, one must be careful to loan them to others unless one is using them (in which case one's use takes precedence). He should also be careful to write on them "from Ma'aser money", so that his children later don't take possession of them <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | # However, if one buys books with Ma'aser money, one must be careful to loan them to others unless one is using them (in which case one's use takes precedence). He should also be careful to write on them "from Ma'aser money", so that his children later don't take possession of them <ref> Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 34:4 </ref>. | ||
