Question:
Hi
1. Does one need to give maaser on money that they receive from pension?
2. Secondly is it a brocha to give 20% of it even if you can’t afford to?
Answer:
- Yes, money earned from a pension needs to be “maasered”, like any other earned money.
- The gemora says that a person never loses out from giving tzedakah, (up until 20%) however if you can’t afford it, it isn’t an obligation. If you are going to invest so much into giving tzedakah it would be worthwhile for you to learn the halachos to make sure you do it right. There are a number of seforim in English that you can buy, and learn the halachos, .
Best wishes
Just to point out– a pension may have been funded with post-maaser dollars so the principle should not need to be maasered again if it was maasered in the past? Additionally, perhaps the questioner should know that there are those who say basic living expenses may be subtracted from income before calculating maaser?
True, but thatg money is not chayiv in maaser in the first place, so I wouldn’t assume that it was indeed taken. If he doesn’t have enough money it is also true that he doesn’t have to give maaser, but that is not was not his concern.
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