Question: Someone has been asking me a question for months. I’ve been asking round but no-one has yet given a straight answer to it. I was wondering what you could… Read more »
Category: Tzdakah and maaser
Investing maaser money
Question: I want to donate a substantial sum of money for my maaser obligations, but don’t want to have to give it away all at once, in order to better… Read more »
Maaser
Question: Is donating a prescription medication that I can’t sell maaser deductible? Answer: Technically you could take it from maaser. Practically though you can not take off too much money… Read more »
Doubling my maaser with “matching”
Question: If i donate money to a campaign that has someone else match my donation, can i take the doubled amount off my Chiyuv Maaser? Answer: No you can’t. You… Read more »
Inherited IRA and giving maaser
Question: My situation and then the question: I am 69 years old and retired. I was recently diagnosed with cancer. My only family (3 siblings) live out of state. My… Read more »
Paying debts from maaser
Question: Kavod Harav. If I owe other Jews money from 10 years ago when I was in trouble financially and they helped me. And now I pay my maaser money… Read more »
Donate maaser locally?
Question: Should all maaser be donated locally? What about the needs of the poor in Israel? Thank you. Answer: You don’t have to give all of your maaser locally, and… Read more »
Chomesh
Question: As a bocbur I gave chomesh. Married with kids, can not really afford nasser but give since we have family help, so tithe mine and wife’s earnings. The q… Read more »
giving maaser or 20%
Question: 1)Currently I don’t have any source of income, besides my Kollel check, and I am living off my savings (which I was planning on using to help buy an… Read more »
Maaser
Question: Who can I give maaser to. Can I give to my sister and she give me Answer: Maaser money can be given to a poor person, to support torah,… Read more »
Masser deductions
Question: May i deduct the return from work to home taxi fee Answer: Getting home from work is considered a business expense, the same way that getting there is. Therefore… Read more »
Master ksafim
Question: Can one use maaser money for a yisachar zevulun shutfis, even to the extent of drawing up a formal contract? Answer: A Yisachar Zevulun shutfus is business deal between… Read more »
Using rental debt as charity?
Question: I rented a machsan for many years to a person who makes batim for tefilin. He was always late with rent but eventually paid. More than a year ago,… Read more »
Payments to Bituah Leumi
Question: Could mandatory payments to Bituah Leumi qualify as maaser money? The cause assists other Jews, one would need to qualify stringent criteria to (indirectly?) benefit from these payments; in… Read more »
tzedakkah
Question: We have a tzedakah box in our house which was leftover from renters before us. I just read the label on it and realized that the money goes to… Read more »
Does one fulfill maaser if they give maaser to an atheist Jew?
Question: Does one fulfill maaser if they give maaser to an athiest jew? Answer: One should not give his maaser kesofim to an atheist Jew as he is considered an… Read more »
False pledge to tzedakah
Question: I saw a sign advertising for our community’s melava malka for women. It stated the price, but underneath, it read ‘we would rather you come so pay any amount… Read more »
Maaser money separated, but now person may not need the money
Question: Hi, I set aside maaser money for a relative of mine whom I knew can use the money, as she was a divorced mother of 5 with barely making… Read more »
Maaser on proceeds from pain and suffering award
Question: I developed cancer that was deemed to be related to 9/11 and I will receiving two awards one for pain and suffering and one for lost income. Am I… Read more »
Taking back unused item donated to hekdesh
Question: Bechavod, I donated a large amount of sweetener to a community kollel about a year ago, but nobody has been using it. Can I take it back? Answer: You… Read more »
Maaser to adult children
Question: We have several adult children. One is married with four kids, he is learning and his wife works. He lives in our basement apartment and does not pay rent… Read more »
Giving ma’aser money to Gift of Life
Question: There’s a organization called the gift of life. It’s an international public bone marrow and blood stem cell registry. It facilitates transplants for children and adults suffering from many… Read more »
Maaser Question
Question: My wife is a makeup artist by profession. She has been doing a great chesed recently, by providing makeup service free of charge for brides who cannot afford to… Read more »
Tefillin from maser for grandchild
Question: Can I use maser money to buy my grandchild tefillin. My son is jobless for awhile and low on funds generally. I know for a child its questionable. How… Read more »
Maaser Money
Question: A single unmarried teenage girl is asking whether she can give her maaser money to her single mother whom she lives with in order to help her with paying… Read more »
maaser
Question: We are living a kollel life in Yerushalayim; money is tight. Can my single sister in America buy for my toddler some clothing with her maaser money? Answer: Yes… Read more »
Using ma’aser money for wedding gifts
Question: Can I use ma’aser money for a wedding gift? Answer: There are times when one may use maser money to give a wedding present. First of all it is… Read more »
Can you carry over maaser to the next year
Question: If you already gave a tenth to maaser for this year and you realize you gave more than you had to, are you allowed to apply it to the… Read more »
Question About Maaser
Question: I gave my mother points from my credit card for an airline ticket to come visit me.. I could have redeemed those points for money. My mother is a… Read more »
Masser for online access to torah shiurim
Question: Kavod HaRav, There’s a website that has numerous shiurim that they allow people view 30 minutes amonth for free. If you want to watch more they have for different… Read more »
Donation for Publication
Question: A friend of mine was collecting money to publish a sefer lzecher nishmas someone. I said I’ll gave $50 or $100 (I don’t remember which) for the cause. However… Read more »
Donation instead of a raise
Question: Similar to the question found here: http://dinonline.org/2018/06/18/asking-for-a-raise-in-order-to-give-it-to-maaser/ I’m wondering what if an employer was more inclined to give a donation on my behalf to an institution than giving me… Read more »
Maisar for Kollel fund
Question: If a person has a “Kollel fund” by which profit is put into that fund so that in a number of years a person can go to Kollel to… Read more »
Asking for a raise in order to give it to maaser
Question: If I work for a yeshiva or charity and I get paid $10 an hour. Can I ask for a raise of $12 an hour, while promising to give… Read more »
Am I alowed to invest Maasar and/ or Tzedkoah money?
Question: I have a separate account where I put Maasar and Tzedakah money and give it out as needed. While the money is sitting in the account, can I invest… Read more »
Tzedakah Money to Pay Wedding Expenses
Question: Can I use money I have put aside for Tzedakah to pay for my son’s wedding? Answer: My apologies that it took a while to get back to you…. Read more »
Non obligated maaser
Question: I saw many questions here about someone who has student loan debts and other debts and they were answered that they don’t have to give maaser but should still… Read more »
Maaser money for bein hazmanim program
Question: I’ve started a program that encourages torah learning during bein hazmanim and offers a raffle for those who learn. I would like to try to expand the program. Can… Read more »
Maaser and tefillin for a bar mitzvah boy
Question: Can the cost of purchasing a set of tefillin for my son as he approaches bar mitzvah be paid from ma’aser money? Why or why not? Answer: Essentially we… Read more »
maaser on employee health benefits (USA)
Question: K’vod haRav, in the US it is common for the employer to pay most of the cost of health insurance (e.g. if the insurance costs $24000/year, the employee pays… Read more »
giving masser with a credit card
Question: Is giving masser through a credit card permissible? The company is in essence “lending” you the money and you are in essence “paying” your debt to them with money… Read more »
Masser with credit cards that offer bonuses
Question: Can I give masser through a credit card that offers cash back if a certain amount is spent within a certain amount of time . For example if I… Read more »
Finance
Question: Our people have the best financial knowledge there is. How do you invest $400 a month ? Answer: Specific financial advice is not my specialty, but one thing I… Read more »
Financial Pledge
Question: Dear Rabbi, On entering certain ‘kiruv’ yeshivot one is sometimes asked to sign a pledge to compensate an institution financially in the future for time spent – when payment… Read more »
Maaser money for therapy
Question: Hi I’m dating a guy seriously and a few emotional issues have arisen on my behalf that he is unwilling to get engaged if I don’t get help with… Read more »
About donation amounts
Question: Shalom Rav, Is there a minimum or maximum percentage of one’s earnings one may donate in a year ? Would it be a percentage f the gross earnings or… Read more »
Can extra maasar carry over to the next year?
Question: Last year, through the year I paid for 4 members of my family to have expensive urgent dental work done because they could not afford it. I put these… Read more »
Can a loan count as maaser ?
Question: I have loaned an ex friend money (no contract or witnesses) assuming he would pay me back, a year later and I still havnt received the money back, Can… Read more »
Giving to ones not necessarily poor
Question: I’ve been giving some of my own money but right now I’m feeling a bit stingy and would rather give from my mayser money to those in the train… Read more »
I really don’t remember if I gave maaser on a couple checks, what should I do?
Question: I really don’t remember if I gave maaser on a couple checks I received a couple months ago, what should I do? Answer: It depends on what you said… Read more »