As a kalla, is there anything I am allowed to use my maaser money for?
For example, my kalla tacher is a wife of a man still in kollel, and they have 8 kids. Can I use my maaser to pay for kalla classes, or at least add money to the normal amount people pay for kalla classes, to make it into a nice amount?
Answer
The general rule with regards to Ma’aser money is that one may not use it for any payment that one is financially obliged to pay. Therefore, if it is understood that one pays a Kalla teacher a certain amount of money, one may not use Ma’aser funds for this. However, one may certainly use ma’aser funds to add to whatever is the accepted amount to pay the teacher who is the wife of a Kollel yungerman with a large family.
Note that if you are married already, your husband may well have certain Halachic rights with regard to this money, and therefore you should consult with him before giving it away to Tzedaka.
