Question:
We will be spending a few days in the Galil next week. I was thinking of paying a little extra at each private business we use (campgrounds, attractions, etc.) and telling them that it's in order to help in a small way after their past two years of almost no business. My rational is a) to be able to be nosei b'ol in some way and b) to make a kiddush H-shem - especially since many of these businesses are owned and run by irreligious Jews, many of which probably have less than favorable opinions of bnei Torah.
May I count the extra expense toward maaser even if I haven't confirmed that the recipient qualifies as poor?
Answer:
Hello,
What you plan to do is a very nice idea, and I hope it does make a kiddush Hashem, especially nowadays that bnei Torah are being, vilified by the media and press. Regarding using maaser money for this, is skeptical, because we don't know if the people receiving the money are halachically considered poor or not. It is true that they didn't have much business during the past year, however we don't know how much they have saved in the bank from previous years, etc.
Best wishes, and enjoy your trip.
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