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Fulfilling writing sefer torah through charitable contributions via partnering structure

Question:

I read the responsa on writing, buying, partnering in connection with the mitzva or writing a sefer torah, Shoftim 5777. I would like to establish a 501C3 charity to raise funds to write sifrei torah and then gift them to shul's or similar organizations. Would a donor obtain the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah and what would they rely upon halachically?

 

Answer:

Hello,

This sounds like a nice idea. There are just few point that I would mention. The first is that you do not want to actually donate the sefer torah to the shul. The reason is because then the sefer doesn’t belong to those who wrote it, and they are losing the mitzva. As the mitzva is to write it and have such a sefer torah. Therefore, the seforim should only be on “long term loan”, but that they stay the property of those who wrote it.

The second point is that the sofer who will write the sefer should be told that he is a shaliach (emissary) to write the sefer for all those who donated money for it.

Another point is that it is preferred that those who are donating money for the sefer should write or fill in a letter of the sefer. This way they are contributing to its actual writing.

Hashem should give you a lot of hatzlocha on your new project.

 

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