Question:
They send me an itemized bill but it doesn’t add up, they refuse to discuss why… Whatever I earn goes to my private bank account that my husband does not have access to and I pay bill s including tuition from there. We generally have enough money from my salary for basic needs but money is very tight and we live on a very strict budget which is why I need to know if I can apply this ‘extra charge’ to maaser.
Thank you!
Question:
My son’s school uses a computer system to figure out tuition. Whenever I call the secretary to clarify the bill, he always says, whatever the computer says that’s what you have to pay. It usually ends up that I have to pay ‘extra’ as when I multiply the monthly tuition rate based on the months I am being asked to pay, it doesn’t match. Can I deduct this ‘extra’ amount that I am being forced to pay from maaser? My husband doesn’t pay tuition. Do I as a mother have an obligation to pay or is this considered a voluntary mitzva that I can deduct from maaser? (My husband doesn’t support me financially and I once got a pesak that I could even give him maaser to pay for his medical needs.)
Answer:
Thanks for your question. There are a few things that I need to clarify in order to answer you.
I need to understand what this extra charge is for, in order to know if it is applicable to pay it from maaser. I think that it is reasonable to request an itemized bill from the school and not just a schmear, “whatever it says here”.
I don’t understand the situation between you and your husband. What does it mean that he doesn’t pay for the tuition. Do you mean that this is your personal money that your husband has no access to and from that money you are paying the tuition?
I also need to know your general financial status. do you have enough money from your salary from a secure steady job to support your family with it’s needs?
Thanks
Answer:
You can use the money from your maaser for this. the reasons for this are, firstly that it seems that you might not have to give maaser at all, since your income doesn’t seem to provide you with your needs. Secondly, even if your financial situation is adequate, you can still use the money for tuition since paying tuition is not your personal halachic or personal financial.obligation
Best wishes
