11
Source Gittin 8a which is regarding what part of the mediteranien sea is obligated in Maaser (see 7b-8a) (Bold is translation everything else is Research)
הנסין שבים רואין אותן כאילו חוט מתוח עליהם מטורי אמנון עד נחל מצרים מן החוט ולפנים א"י מן החוט ולחוץ חו"ל רבי יהודה אומר כל שכנגד ארץ ישראל הרי הוא כא"י
The Islands in the Mediteranean sea within ...
9
Dayan Raskin says that the following are deductibles:
Any overheads that one must pay to earn one's money. For example, if one earned $100,000 but must pay rent, workers, wholesaler, insurance, etc., he doesn't really earn the full $100,000. Therefore, he can pay less Maaser.
Taxes. If one earned $100,000 dollars, but pays $10,000 in taxes, he doesn't ...
9
Let's not forget the next prohibition on the Rambam's list (#154):
The 154th prohibition is that we are forbidden from giving the agricultural gifts out of order; rather, we must give them in the proper order.
Separating Terumot and Maaserot before separating Bikkurim violates one of the 613 Torah commandments (Mishna Terumot 3:6-7). So in practice your ...
8
The Mitzva applies in all places and at all times, even today and even outside of Israel. (Bechorot 9:1)
However, since nowadays we can't offer the animals as Korbanot and we'd have to wait for the animal to get a blemish in order to eat it, there was a rabbinic enactment not to fulfill the Mitzva lest people come to sin by eating it before it got a blemish....
7
See Chazon Ish (D’mai 3:12) proves that modern coins may be used even though they have no intrinsic value, and offers a possible explanation as to why that logic does not apply to
paper money which traditionally has not been used for these purposes. (footnote 16 on article "THE HUNT FOR THE PERUTAH CHAMURAH" by Rabbi Dovid Cohen http://www.crcweb.org/...
7
If your parents are in need then give them because Tzedaka is a Mitzva to everyone, but even if they dont need so much helping them is still a mitzva see Isiah 58,7:
הֲלוֹא פָרֹס לָרָעֵב לַחְמֶךָ, וַעֲנִיִּים מְרוּדִים תָּבִיא בָיִת, כִּי תִרְאֶה עָרֹם וְכִסִּיתוֹ* *וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ לֹא תִתְעַלָּם
Give to the hungry your bread, bring the poor to your ...
6
R' Zevin writes in "A Treasury of Chassidic Tales" page 291:
R' Yehuda Tzvi of Rozla was once visited by a Chassid who gave him a kvittel (prayer request) with the accompanying traditional pidyon (money given to a Tzaddik).
The Rebbe asked him (rhetorically) how he, the Rebbe, was allowed to receive a pidyon; after all, the money is only given on ...
6
Terumah Gedolah should not be measured with precision but should be given באומד by estimation. One should not even use a vessel of known measurement to remove the Terumah Gedolah, unless one doesn't fill the vessel to a known line. (Terumot 1:7, Rambam Terumot 3:4)
Maaserot (Rishon, Sheni, Ani, and Min HaMaaser) should be given with high precision. The ...
6
Here's a list of Jewish organizations I donate online to with some regularity. I spend about 10 minutes checking out each one for reliability and quality and usefulness of work before giving a donation; feel free to do more.
With some exceptions, this list focuses on donations to the Jewish
poor and needy rather than cultural institutions, mainstream
...
6
Rabbi Yitzhak Hirschfeld told me that if cash is given in lieu of a specific gift, because it is easier to ship or such, then that money too does not need to have maaser taken. He mentioned his mother wanted to send him furniture, but it was easier to mail a check and a note instructing him to buy furniture with the money.
6
First of all, the Biblical mitzvah of maaser has to do with produce; the contemporary version of the mitzvah, maaser kesafim, where one gives 10% of his income, is a minhag or at least of Rabbinic origin, according to most poskim.
The Gemara, at Kesubos 50a, states that one cannot give double-maaser (20% of one's income) if it would cause him to be ...
6
Welcome to J.SE, good questions.
Suppose I start with 100 lbs. of flour.
First I give a small amount, known as Terumah, to the Kohen. That leaves 98 lbs. of flour. I tithe the remaining flour (9.8 lbs); that's called Maaser Rishon, and it's given to the Levites. (Rambam laws of Maaser 1:1). The Levite then tithes what he gets, i.e. 0.98 lbs of flour, and ...
6
When I received unemployment insurance, I took out ma'aser. One of the reasons is that even an ani who gets tzedaka is required to give ma'aser from that tzedakah. I keep a virtual quicken account to keep track of ma'aser and add 10% of income to this virtual ledger. Whenever I give tzedakah, I subtract the amount of the tzedakah from the virtual ledger. ...
6
Following @Yirmeyahu's lead I found my copy of the Eye of the Needle with the full copy of the article you are looking for. I scanned it below. See end of page 3 and page 4. It is not a straight interview of R Moshe Feinstein but an essay based on his call for action to yeshiva students.
6
TL;DR maybe yes... but it depends, should CYLOR just to be safe
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun in a chabadinfo.com article titled "Can I Buy my Seat With Maaser Money?" says it depends:
There is a discussion among contemporary poskim whether maaser (one tenth of one’s earnings that is earmarked for tzedakah) may be used to purchase a seat [for the High Holy ...
5
When one picks fruits owned by a Jew in Israel, he is allowed to snack on them (אכילת עראי) until they become designated for maaser (נקבע למעשר), or, if he is planning on selling them, until he finishes his work on the harvest (גמר מלאכה). After that, he cannot eat from them at all until properly tithing them.
The most common ways of designating for maaser ...
5
R Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (Chazon Ish Shevi'it 5:12) writes that were we to give Maaser Rishon nowadays to Leviyim on the basis that they claim the Levi Aliya in Shul, more people would lie and pretend to be Leviyim because of the financial benefit.
However, most authorities seem to think that Maaser Rishon (taken from certain Tevel) should (at least ...
5
I like Shalom's answer, I did want to clarify something: while certain contributions to a Synagogue would count as tzedaka, regular Synagogue membership dues do not.
This post gives also gives a very detailed explanation: http://www.pidyon.com/latest-writings/halacha/10-maaser/48-computing-maaser-how-much-tzedakah-charity-do-i-owe.html
5
Rabbi David Feinstein rules that Maaser ksafim only comes into play after one pays all of his living expenses, including food rent tuition clothing etc. Whatever money is put away as extra is subject to the minhag we call Maaser Ksafim. Reb Elyashev has gone on record to say that paying for children's weddings is part of one's cost of living so all money put ...
5
Number 1 ( Agree to the parents' request and don't give ma'aser ). That's what Rabbi Dovid Feinstein told me.
The reason he gave for this was that it is a present with a stipulation. He also said that if the gift is large, there is an assumed stipulation and one need not give. His mashal (example) was a car. I asked what's the smallest large amount one can ...
5
I have spent time over several days unsuccessfully trying to locate my copy of "Eye of the Needle" (which incidentally I see is recommended in the link you provided) but in the index there is a copy of the Jewish Observer article which you and your source have mentioned. My recollection of the article is that it didn't merely mention this idea in his name ...
5
The rabbinate is actually doing its best to not impose at all. There are many tithes separated from produce in Israel and the rabbinate, in certifying that given produce is kosher (if requested to do so by the grower), only removes those tithes which cannot be eaten nowadays, namely, Terumah Gedolah and Terumat Maaser (totaling about 1% of the crop), plus in ...
5
Yes you can donate money now and deduct it from future ma'aser "obligations". I found it clearly adresed by dinonline
The Noda Beyehuda [volume 1 siman 73] rules that one may give
preemptive maaser on money he has not yet earned and deduct it from
later earnings. This is quoted in Pischei Tshuva [Y:D 249]. This is
also the opinion of the Chasam ...
4
According to Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum ZATZAL the answer is that the Mitzva is not fulfilled.
http://www.campsci.com/articles/iv_been_scammed_out_of_a_mitzva.htm
4
There is no maaser on non-monetary gifts according to R Tzvi Spitz, R Moshe Feinstein, R Moshe Heinemann, Chazon Ish (all four cited by R Avrohom Chaim Feuer in The tzedakah treasury pp. 136-7).
Some disagree, e.g., Rabbeinu Yonah, R Shlomon Zalman Auerbach both cited by R Shimon Taub in The laws of tzedakah and maaser
Others hold that only if one would ...
4
Although not commonly practiced (that I know of), it is worthwhile to mention the approach of the Chofetz Chaim in Ahavas Chesed (2:18:3) is to deduct all non-discretionary household expenses and to give maaser on the net income.
I don't know if non-discretionary expenses only includes basic necessities, or would also include expenses which are culturally ...
4
I can't find any indication of how long you have to separate the money (and it seems to me that there is no time limit).
However once you do separate the money, if you didn't make a t'nai (condition) at the time of separation that you retain the right to give it at some point in the future as you please, then you are obligated to give the money to poor ...
4
About 10 Years ago, I asked a similar question to a posek by the name of Rabbi Yonasan Wiener in Jerusalem and he replied "if you can't make ends meet, you're not obligated in maaser."
However, I read in a book on Rabbi Pinchas Sheinberg that a couple with a very difficult financial situation went to ask him whether they were obligated to take maaser.
He ...
4
I asked Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz, and he said according to the prevalent practice to give maaser on receiving gifts of cash (or checks, whatever, something that can be spent anywhere) but not goods, a gift of a gift card would not need maaser.
If you're paid by your job in gift cards? Same as if you were paid in potato chips, I guess. Not sure how we'd ...
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