Charity: Difference between revisions
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* 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. | * 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> | * 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> | ||
===More than 20%=== | |||
#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. | #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> | * 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> | #Most poskim hold that someone very wealthy can 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> | ||
# Some hold that it is permitted to give more than 20% of one's wealth if one has a steady income.<ref>Biur Halacha 626 s.v. afilu writes that if someone has a steady income he can give more than 20% for a mitzvah because there isn’t a concern that he’s going to become poor. His proof is Kiddushin 29b that for pidyon haben it is permitted to spend more than 20%. He reiterates this in Ahavat Chesed 20:3. Shevet Halevi 4:64 seems to agree. | |||
* 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> | |||
==Whom To Give To== | ==Whom To Give To== | ||
