An elderly man who I am close to is having difficulty walking. His neice has asked me to help him to Shul on Shabos. They have offered me payment and I agreed because they will feel uncomfortable asking me for a favour. It may be that he will only go on Shabos morning and not Leil Shabos. How do we organize the payment being that the help is on Shabbos.
Answer:
It is best that payment will include some service that you also provide during the week.
A possible arrangement is that you should be “on call” during the week, too, so that the payment isn’t for Shabbos alone, but also for your being “on call” to help him to shul during the week (such as on Friday before Shabbos).
In addition, perhaps if the payment will be monthly, there will be more chance of weekday activity.
If nothing works out, it is permitted to receive payment for Shabbos alone, because helping out the elderly man is a mitzvah, and for purposes of a mitzvah it is permitted to receive sechar Shabbos. However, authorities write that one does not see “blessing” from such income.
Best wishes.
Sources:
See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 306, and Mishnah Berurah 24.
