I saw quoted from Rav Elyashiv (אשרי האיש או"ח ח"ג פרק מ"ו אות י"ב), Rav Nevetzhal (מציון תצא תורה ח"א אות קל"א) and Rav Wosner (קובץ מבית לוי חי"ז עמ' ק"ט) that one should ideally give Matanos La'evyonim to the poor from their city. I don't have access to those Sefarim right now. We know that the rules of giving charity on Purim are very different than giving charity the rest of the year. What is their source that charity given on Purim should be given to the poor of your city before the poor from elsewhere? Are there any earlier sources who say the same thing?
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I don't know specifically about Purim - but we know that with regards to tzedoko in general, your city takes precedence - see Bava Metziah 71a - sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.71a.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en - "עניי עירך קודמין"– DovAug 13, 2020 at 21:47
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Sorry. Mistyped my previous comment. It should read: "Thank you so much. The question was whether the rule from the rest of the year holds true on Purim. After al, we know that Matanos La'evyonim has very different rules than regular Tzeddakah."– EliyahuAug 16, 2020 at 18:13
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1 Answer
This is not only a Halacha by Purim, but rather for all Tzedaka.
The Gemara in Bava Metzia 71a says that you always are supposed to give to the poor of your city before others.
The famous line is עניי עירך ועניי עיר אחרת עניי עירך קודמין, If it is between one of the poor of your city and one of the poor of another city, the one of the poor of your city takes precedence. (translation from Sefaria).
The Rambam Paskens like this: עָנִי שֶׁהוּא קְרוֹבוֹ קֹדֶם לְכָל אָדָם. עֲנִיֵּי בֵּיתוֹ קוֹדְמִין לַעֲנִיֵּי עִירוֹ. עֲנִיֵּי עִירוֹ קוֹדְמִין לַעֲנִיֵּי עִיר אַחֶרֶת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו יא) לְאָחִיךָ לַעֲנִיֶּךָ וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּאַרְצֶךָ
A poor person who is a relative takes precedence over anyone else. The poor of one's household take precedence over the poor of one's city. The poor of one's city take precedence over the poor of another city, as it is said, (Deut. 15:11) Open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land.
The Shulchan Aruch also does, basically copying the Rambam word for word.
The Tosefta seems to say this is also a Halacha by Purim. Tosefta Megillah 1:5:
מגבת פורים לפורים ומגבת העיר לאותה העיר אין מדקדקין במגבת פורים אבל לוקחים את העגלים ושוחטין ואוכלין אותן והמותר [אל] יפול לכיס של צדקה ר"א אומר מגבת פורים [אל יעשה ממנו עני רצועה לסנדלו].
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2The question is how do we know Purim has the same rule as the rest of the year– Double AA ♦Aug 13, 2020 at 21:52
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You found a Tosefta about Matanas La'evyonim that also mentions collections for that city, but what does that prove relevant to our question? Can you explain your diyyuk because I've read that Tosefta at least fifteen times to try to see something, but I see nothing. They're two separate things that share a similarity in that one can't change money to use it for something else and that's why they are listed together.– EliyahuAug 16, 2020 at 18:11
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I thought that it's not necessarily proof that we give to עניי עירך, but could be a support. Maybe just a lechatchila. The Ramban on Bava Metzia 78b (which quotes this Tosefta) quotes the Yerushalmi that I think you were alluding to in your question - that we basically follow none of the typical rules of Tzedaka. I think that מגבת העיר לאותה העיר could try to be saying it's best to give to the people of your city, and that's why we distribute to our own city. But this seems only preferable (as the Poskim you quote say). Aug 18, 2020 at 3:56