Question:
If a poor person on the street, asks me for money – can I use maser money, to help him?
Answer:
“Maser” money, derived from charitable funds. Therefore, their law is subject to charitable law. And therefore, only what is allowed and should be given from charitable funds, can be considered from “maser” money.
So actually:
If you know him, or he has a recommendation, that he is really consumed, or if he is a poor man who is hungry for bread, who has nothing to eat at all, (which is almost not found) – you can consider the charitable money you give him, from “maser” money. But if it is not such a way, then you need to check, whether it is really consumed, in order to consider it from tithe money.
And even in the most urgent charity, that the charity cannot be delayed until it is checked. If we are not talking about alimony – you must find out later, his real financial situation, in order to consider it from the money of tens.
Important detail:
It is necessary to pay attention to the identity of the recipient, that if this poor person is alienated, and is not one of our brother Jews, although he must be helped by peaceful means but not from Halacha law. And sometimes there is a “chilul hashem”, if not helped. so you cannot give maser money, Because this commandment is commanded, for our brothers and our flesh, the children of hashem so they will not have a lack of food and clothing.
As well as people who break the yoke of Torah maliciously, we are not commanded to give them charity, and this should not be considered from “maser” money. Although most secular people in our time are considered captured or mistaken from when they were babies – and in any case are ordered to revive them.
And in any case, you must be careful!
That you will give most of the money for the to the poor from your relatives, and to the sages of Torah, such as the Abrachim (as the main mitzvah is). And also to be careful, not to give all the money of enrichment, to one person.
Greetings Rabbi Chaim Zafarani.
Sources and reasoning
