Questions tagged [tzedakah-charity]
The mitzvah of charity, generally giving to the poor, In Hebrew צדקה, literally meaning "justice or righteousness."
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Source for Volozhiner Yeshiva Story
Many trustworthy sources quote a story of Rav Chaim Volozhiner explaining to a disappointed benefactor that tzedakah given with pure intentions is used for holier items in the yeshiva while tzedakah ...
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What is considered tzedakah for family?
I know someone who is disabled as an adult and still supported by his parents, as they pay a lot of his expenses, is giving them money for their needs considered tzedakah
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What is the underlying purpose of Tzadakah?
Is the purpose of Tzadakah to simply feed and house the poor, if so why did Hillel give the rich man a horse and run before him?
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Is tipping a form of tzedakah?
In these times when people who work need every dollar is tipping a form of tzedakah?
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Is buying from a Yeshiva tzedakah?
Is buying from a Rabbi or Yeshiva a form of tzedakah especially if the Rabbi or Yeshiva derives support from it.
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Does charity which is misused by its recipient count?
Let’s say you give to charity and the charity wastes your money does it still count due to proper intention?
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Where does Taz say I should feel bad if I cannot learn because Hashem gave me a different mitzvah?
Where does Taz say I should feel bad if I cannot learn because Hashem gave me a different mitzvah that only I can do?
Meaning, that Hashem is not pleased with my Torah right now.
I think it is in ...
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Maaser money / Tax form
How can I determine from the tax form 1040 what number I’m supposed to look at to calculate maaser?
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How is one able to separate exactly one tenth of an income for maaser?
This article says:
According to some authorities, the special virtue of maaser—for
which the Torah promises wealth (and even permits “testing”
Hashem)—is limited to donating exactly one tenth of one’...
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If a person gives 20% of their money to charity, and yet after, still has money to spend. Can he spend it on a big house, nice car ect? (Ayin Hara)
The question I'm asking is on the basis of Ayin Hara, I'm confused a bit, since there is an halachah that a person can't give more then 20% away (debatable don't want to get into that) but there is ...
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Tzedakah Protects from hell?
I’ve heard rabbis like Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi and Rabbi Yaron Reuven say that giving to a Yeshiva, kiruv, Shule, charity, helps one gain protection from hell or gain mitzvot.
Is there any source for ...
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Is using an EBT card in a supermarket considered taking tzedakah from goyim?
In today's Rambam, Hilchos Edut chapter 11 halacha 3, the Rambam writes that if one takes charity from goyim in public when it's possible to take it in private, that person is invalid as a witness.
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Is donating blood a mitzvah?
Is donating blood a mitzvah?
Are there contemporary sources?
I am looking for an answer from a posek, rav, etc.
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Should we accept donations of tainted money?
A lot has been written on whether donations of tainted money should be accepted. The money is tainted either because it is ill-gotten or because the donor is ethically challenged (e.g., sexual ...
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Give a poor person "all that he lacks"?
The Torah says that we must give a poor person all that he lacks [דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ.] [Deut. 15:7-8]
The Shulḥan Arukh interprets:
How much should be given to the poor? Dei ...
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Was Haman rewarded for supporting Torah learners and building the Beis HaMikdash?
The Midrash Shochar Tov (22:25) writes
לשלשה חלקים נחלק ממונו של המן. שליש למרדכי ואסתר. ושליש לעמלי תורה.
ושליש לבנין בית המקדש - Haman's money was divided into thirds: 1/3 was given to Mordechai ...
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Is it better to give Ma'aser Kesofim to Talmidei chochomim who are not poor or to poor Yidden who are not Talmidei chochomim?
What is the ideal way to give Ma'aser Kesofim? Is it better to give Ma'aser Kesofim to Talmidei chochomim who are not poor or to poor Yidden who are not Talmidei chochomim?
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What are the economics of charity collectors who come from outside the United States?
In my shul from time to time someone from outside the United States, usually from Israel, comes to collect charity. I would like to better understand the economics of this process. I had heard ...
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Charity begins at home
In his introduction to Parshat Vayechi, Rabbeinu Bachya says the following regarding charity (Munk translation):
“The subject matter of charity, how to practice it, and in what amount to practice it ...
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Does giving donations necessarily mean it's tzeddakah?
BS"D
How can giving a donation (based on US law that it is a contribution towards a non-for-profit 501c3 organization) to a very affluent shul, yeshiva, or other mosed still Halachically count as ...
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Can external actions reduce my "reward" for giving charity?
The Rambam lists 8 levels of giving charity, saying one is better than the next. I am assuming that there is some greater advantage to performing this mitzvah on a "higher" level, an idea ...
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Should I donate money to non-jewish organizations that I've benefited from, or is it better to give that money to Jewish institutions?
I was thinking that on the one hand there may be an ענין to give to a non-Jewish organization that you've benefitted from (e.g. Wikipedia) as a way to train yourself in the middah of הכרת הטוב (...
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How frequently should I give tzedakah/maaser ksafim?
This question assumes there's some form of a mitzvah to give 10% of one's income to tzedakah (as the answers to this question suggest, this may stem from a neder to give "maaser ksafim"). Is ...
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Matanos La'evyonim to poor from your city
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) ...
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Does designating money for charity equate to tzedakah?
Rambam on Pirkei Avos 3:15 suggests that it is better to give a certain amount of tzedakah each day over several days rather than giving the equivalent total all at once, because each act of giving ...
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I vaguely remember learning not to give Tzedakah to strangers for fear of deception?
I remember being taught that since there are people who willingly deceive others by pretending to be impoverished so that they will trick others into giving them Tzedakah, lends the public permission ...
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Tzedaka in the Wilderness
As a young child, the Kotzker Rebbe is quoted as asking how Klal Yisroel in the Wilderness were able to fulfill the mitzva of tzedaka if they had everything they needed with the manna. However, they ...
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Giving Tzedakah Less than a Perutah
The consensus among poskim is that a prutah is 1/40 of a gram of silver, which is usually more than 1 cent but less than 5 cents. So if a person only gives a penny to tzedakah (let's say that is all ...
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Can I receive paid holiday from employer on Shabbat, even though I have not actually worked?
Is there a contraindication to receiving holiday pay on Shabbat, where I have booked it off so as not to work Shabbat ?
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Do matching funds count towards one’s maaser money?
For example, my company matches donations to qualifying charities dollar for dollar. If I donate $100 and they match $100, can I count the matched funds as part of my masser obligation?
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Accepting donations from Non-Shomer Shabbos?
May a Torah institution accept funds from a Jew who makes money from working on Shabbos? (I heard that a particular Rebbe collecting money would put money earned with holy endeavors was put into his ...
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Origin of "shaliach mitzvah" money [duplicate]
Before someone goes on a trip, there is a custom to give that person a dollar to give to tzedakah when they arrive at their destination. I have heard that the reason for this is that no harm comes to ...
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Charity given to poor person who then becomes wealthy
If someone decided to help a poor family out by giving them a substantial amount of money (years worth) and then subsequently the poor gets yerusha or wins the lottery, according to the halacha does ...
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Why don't we say a blessing before giving charity?
Before doing many mitzvos (commandments), we are required derabanan to say a blessing. Why is this not the same for giving tzedakah (charity)?
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What constitutes tzedakah? [duplicate]
What constitutes tzedakah?
The general understanding is that tzedakah is giving money or things to the poor, or help them help themselves with jobs, loans, tuition for training, etc. You must give ...
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What is the mitzvah of tzedakah dependent on?
We learn in the Rambam commentary on Avos (3:19) that it is preferable to give a little bit of tzedakah to many people than a few large amounts to a few people.
When does one fulfil the mitzvah of ...
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What is the purpose of "shlichut" money? [duplicate]
Whenever I have gone to Israel, people have given me "shlichut / mitzvah" money to donate at the Kotel.
Usually, I get to the Kotel, but, I don't always have time to do this, if I'm on a very short ...
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Obligation to ask for tzedakah
At what point is one obligated to ask for tzedakah? If one sleeps in a car are they obligated to ask to sleep in an apartment?
How about food? If one has a minimal subsistence level may one refuse ...
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May one choose the recipient of his/her organ donation?
I have decided to donate a kidney. I know that with organizations like Renewal you can choose to donate to someone specifically. I was wondering if it is mutar to browse potential recipients and see ...
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When did the custom of giving charity in multiples of 18 begin? [duplicate]
People often give charity in multiples of 18.
What is the earliest record of such donations?
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How to distribute tzedakah percentage wise?
Are there any detailed recommendations from chachamim how to distribute tzedakah percentage wise (how many percent to pikuach nefesh, Torah insitutions/talmidim, how many to poor people, etc.)? I'm ...
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If giving tzedakah money to parents is a "disrespectful matter" (Talmud, Kiddushin 32a), is giving tzedakah to other relatives a bad idea as well?
My question is going to be a bit complicated so stay with me before you mark it as a duplicate. In my previous question Is giving money to parents considered a tzedaka?, I received answers that it's ...
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Are Jews allowed to contribute to the reconstruction of the Paris cathedral?
I assume most of you have already heard about the sad events that happened yesterday in France. One of the main symbols of Paris, a functioning cathedral caught on fire and caused huge damage to the ...
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Can Mishloach Manot count as Matanot Laevyonim and vice versa?
If I donate ready to eat food to a soup kitchen, or, even more directly, if I see 2 homeless men on the street on Purim and hand them each a sandwich and a drink, can that fulfill my obligation to ...
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Elijah and the dying man
I remember reading long ago that the prophet Elijah sometimes will appear to a dying man pretending to be a beggar asking charity, to give the man one last chance of doing an act of tzedakah. Is this ...
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Origin of the word “pushka” [closed]
European Jews tend to use the word “pushka” for ‘charity box’. What is the origin of the word?
As far as I can tell, Slavic languages use somewhat similar sounding words for ‘container’. In ...
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Halachic limitations on testing Hashem with Tzedaka
THe Gemmorah (Taanis 9a) discusses the idea of testing Hashem with charity/tithes and brings proof from Tanach (Malachi 3,10) - you give your charity and Hashem maximizes your "earnings":
אשכחיה ר' ...
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Does promising salvation in return to a donation border on fraud?
I have mixed feelings about very common (in Israel) advertisements like this one:
(the ad says: "32 orphans are getting married and YOU ARE GRANTED SALVATION"... each one who donates 320 NIS WILL, ...
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What did Hamechaber mean by "personal property" in Hilchot Tzedaka?
SA Y"D 249:
כמה חייב ליתן [לצדקה] וכיצד יתננה:
שיעור נתינתה ... עד חומש נכסיו מצוה מן המובחר ואחד מעשרה מדה בינונית.
וחומש זה שאמרו שנה ראשונה מהקרן
מכאן ואילך חומש שהרויח בכל שנה:
The ...
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