Giving charity in middle of praying

Peace and Blessings

Your question is important and especially important in these days before Purim,

The answer to your question is divided into several ways and as follows:

When the collection of charity is at the very time of prayer, there is no obligation to give charity, since at the time of prayer we are busy with the mitzvah, and the person who deals with the mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah.

When the collection of charity is not at the time of prayer: the poor cannot be ignored, for the Torah says, “You shall not strain your heart and you shall not break your hand.” However, this prohibition is stated only upon completion of the following conditions:

• that the collection of charity is held as a poor, decent and honest person, and should not be feared for deceit, nor is the request for charity for a justifiable reason for which the person is defined as poor.

• When the charity collector is the poor himself, and not the charity collector who collects for other poor, because regarding the charity collector there is no prohibition “do not strain your heart and do not jump your hand.”

• That the collection of charity is for the purpose of charity for the poor himself, because charity for the rest of the needs of a mitzvah, even though they have the virtue of charity, do not have the aforementioned prohibition

It is important to note, that everything that is stated in our answer is regarding the obligation of the law, but the commandment of charity is extremely important, and saves the person and his household from all trouble and distress and sick, and affects the person with abundant blessing and success. And all these blessings come to a person even when he gives when he is not obligated.

Welcome

Rabbi David Ohayon

Sources and reasoning