4

If one is working part time and his / her parents whose financial state is really not great (their balance is negative), is s/he allowed to give his / her maaser money to them even though they support him / her with food, clothing, etc?

Even if they are needy, If the child is benefiting from the maser s/he gives (ie, the parents are using that money for food, clothing, shelter, etc), is it still allowed to be given to those people? Because it will ultimately end up back to her....?

Improve this question
3

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

From the source in this answer (see comment there for translation) it seems that (at least if you are ashkenazi) you can not give them maaser since it does not belong to you (but to them) (since they support you)

But if they were not supporting you then you can give them tzedoko (and it is even preferable since by tzedoko family comes first)
Source Shulchan aruch 251.3

Improve this answer
4
  • So let me just clarify....if they support me then I'm not allowed to give maaser to them even though they need it for the sole reason being that the money I make is technically theirs? Based on this source am I supposed to be giving the money I make to them because it's technically theirs? What if someone wants to start saving up....must they not be able to until they move out?
    – racheli appelbaum
    Nov 3, 2016 at 23:44
  • @racheliappelbaum 1. It is not that you are not allowed it is more a technical problem, if your parents are making the money so they need to give the maisar, not you. 2. It is theirs, they can do with it what they want (for example give it to you) 3. Yes, it seems so, but moving out does not need to be physical just technical, (for example, by paying for food and rent) .
    – hazoriz
    Nov 4, 2016 at 0:52
  • @racheliappelbaum PS. The Lubavicher Rebbe explains that ideally a girl should not be making money, see 4th paragraph from the bottom here hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=15896&st=&pgnum=161 or for the original audio see chabad.org/553798 (at minute 24:50) . (probably this is only if she is not doing it in a tzius way (from home (pnima)) and it is not stoping her from having children, as he says in the end of this video youtu.be/Nw3Y7LrI4vI),
    – hazoriz
    Nov 4, 2016 at 1:32
  • @hazoriz "2. It is theirs, they can do with it what they want (for example give it to you)" So if they give it to you (by allowing you to keep it, let's say), now you have to give ma'aser. So the question returns, can you give your ma'aser to your parents?
    – user9643
    May 2, 2017 at 4:23

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .