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Category: Tzdakah and maaser
Maaser money for learning rabanus
Question: I’m learning in Kollel now. Can I use maaser money (from what I get paid from kollel or my wife’s job) to pay for a rabanus program for myself?… Read more »
Supporting Torah
Question: If I would pay a bachur or yungerman to learn at a time that he otherwise would not be learning, would I get the schar of his learning? Is… Read more »
Giving a gift for certain purposes
Question: Hi. I received a sum of money from someone as a gift. At the time the money was given or afterwards, it was made clear however that the money… Read more »
May one use maaser money for animal rescue?
Question: If one knows that 100% of it will go to rescuing and care of the wildlife in the Australian bushfires? Millions of animals there, large and small, need rescuing… Read more »
follow up re money for pants
Question: Someone gave me money to purchase pants. After purchasing one pair of pants, may I keep the remainder of the money for myself? Answer: All of the money was… Read more »
Starting to give maaser
Question: A person who did not previously gave maaser kesafim and is starting now, should he go back and give maaser on his prior income (if he can somehow remember… Read more »
Maaser on bill and taxes
Question: Shalom Rav, should maaser be after all bills and rent have been settled or before ? And what the state tax on the individual , should we consider maaser… Read more »
Buying Seforim with Maser Money
Question: I recently got married and was wondering if I may use some of my masser money to buy seforim for my home Answer: Mazal Tov to you and your… Read more »
giving tzedakah
Question: Is there a chiyuv to give tzedaka to every single person who asks me? Does one have a chiyuv to give while learning? If one knows that a certain… Read more »
Sale of a home in which I lived
Question: Is the mortgage interest that I paid over the years that I owned my house deductible from the sales proceeds to calculate the profit on the sale. Please cite… Read more »
Bride vs. orphan for tzedakah; concentrating vs. spreading donation
Question:finish sources, Rmbam… Brocho v’Shalom, B”H I am a teenage girl working at a small secretarial job with a modest income. So often, I received emails from crowdfunding platforms such… Read more »
Buying Tefillin with Masser Money
Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi, Question: I give my masser every month in the Jewish community, can I take the money from the masser I give to buy a tefilin?… Read more »
Ma’aser on money given to cover “general” expenses
Question: I traveled to visit my non-observant parents over the bein hazmanim. I was given a certain amount of money to cover expenses that would arise during my visit without… Read more »
Maaser for work
Question: I have ma’aser that I owe but I don’t have extra cash now to give. I’m doing volunteer work for a Kollel. Can I calculate the money I would… Read more »
Annual Expenses Included in 200 zuz (tzedakah recepients)
Question: What expenses are included in the calculation to determine if a person has sufficient funds or ability to generate funds, to cover expenses for the year? Is it minimum… Read more »
Am I allowed to reinvest interest/dividend income?
Question: Hi. I understand that in giving tzdaka in the form of ma’aser any profits I have from investments held are subject to ma’aser. I have investments in funds that… Read more »
Maaser for money given to buy a specific thing and maaser to one’s children
Question: I was given money by someone to buy a specific thing for my child, do I need to give maaser from this money? I’ve given maaser for years from… Read more »
Busker tzedakah
Question: Should one treat a busker (a street musician) like any other request for tzedakah, or is it a pay what you feel performance? Answer: No one is obligated to… Read more »
zdaka on Shabbos
Question: Can a person give zdaka on Shabbos? or at least touch the money Answer: Your question doesn’t sound right, because money is muktza on Shabbos. If you would like,… Read more »
Maaser for torah vaad
Question: I am attending a Mussar Vaad which costs $560 for the year (I’m a female) I’d like to take a course on Emunah which costs $100 for one time… Read more »
Tzedekah;
Question: My father’s yurzheit is coming up on a yom tov (and there is competitive bidding) and I reserve money to possibly purchase an aliyah. But someone called me in… Read more »
Ma’aser
Question: My daughter got engaged and I said to her that I would pay for her Chatan’s guests at the wedding because his parents are in financial difficulty. Can I… Read more »
Tzedekah;
Question: A poor person needs tzedekah. Can I donate an amount to him knowing that the money given to him will be through some tzedekah agency, from which i will… Read more »
Beginning to give ma’aser- Do I have to give retroactively?
Question: At the recommendation of others and a few years after having become frum, I’ve decided that I would like to give tzdaka in the format of ma’aser. My question… Read more »
Can one ever NOT give a poor person money when he asks?
Question: Whenever i daven in the shtibel here, there are always alot of beggars that come ask for money. I once heard that a certain gadol( don’t remember who, and… Read more »
Massar sefer torah
Question: Although one properly can not use masar money to write a Sefer Torah ( as you cant be mekkaim the mitzvah asha with massar ). Question if one can… Read more »
Can I use maaser for school classroom supplies
Question: I am teaching in a kiruv school that also has modern orthodox students in it. Can I use my maaser money to buy supplies and activities for my classroom…. Read more »
Masser for my own medical bills
Question: dear Rabbi, I am not well and do to this we are a one income family. I do get money from social security and have been giving Masser on… Read more »
Maaser on investments
Question: Hi, I had a question regarding Masser on investment withdrawals. Here is the question: 1. Earn $1000 and pay $100 to Maaser. 2. Invest $900 3. After a number… Read more »
A 19 year old taking off Maaser
Question: My 19 year old son that does not work he occasionally works once in a while a day here and there but no steady income gives maaser, I told… Read more »
Money given as a loan that wasn’t paid back
Question: Someone has owed me money for a long time. I do not want to give up on getting the money back, but on the other hand I don’t want… Read more »
Masser deduction para and camp
Question: Can I deduct masser for paying a para for my son at school or camp or even camp tuition. Is camp like babysitting or different ty. Son is five… Read more »
Pushka Problem with Tzedakkah.
Question: I was recently made aware of a puska in our home (perhaps my wife or children acquired it without my knowledge from someone distributing them in our neighborhood) for… Read more »
Using chomesh money
Question: Could I use money that I was מפריש as חומש to use for personal use as a incentive for something רוחני? Answer: If it is meant for tzedakah, it… Read more »
Maaser from used goods
Question: If I sell a used object that I don’t need anymore (eg. clothing), do I need to take off maaser from the amount I get paid? Answer: It depends… Read more »
Massar sefer torah
Question: 1) I recently purchased some nevium on klaf for my shul to use for the Hoftorah. Although the shul is using it they belong to me ( I didn’t… Read more »
Maaser from canceled torah study subscripton.
Question: I subscribed to receive a weekly torah study booklet (Chayenu) but was forced to cancel the subscription a few weeks in due to certain circumstances. Can the money i… Read more »
Maaser Kesafim for a needy Kallah
Question: Dear Rabbi I know of a situation where an orphan is about to become a Kallah. The orphanage as her family are paying for all her wedding expenses. Her… Read more »
Masser from money that was collected
Question: I am collecting money for my daughters Chasana Do I give maaser money on money I am collecting that was designated for tzedokah by others. Also can I use… Read more »
Changing where to give Maaser to
Question: We were planning on giving a large amount of maaser to our shul, and tried to do it but could not succesfully do it on the shul website. After… Read more »
Donating to a Rabbi’s organisation
Question: Is one permitted to donate money to a Rabbi’s organisation if this Rabbi is known to publicly denigrate talmidei chachamim (who disagree with him) on a regular basis? Thank… Read more »
Designated money for rabbi
Question: Hi, two years ago I meant to give money to my rabbi and even set it aside, awhile after we lost touch I thing I didn’t end up giving… Read more »
Maaser from child support
Question: Do I have to give maaser from money that was given to me but for a specific purpose? For example, If one is divorced, and the ex does not… Read more »
In which circumstances is it permissible to test G-d through Maaser?
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 »
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 »