Giving Maaser | Imamother

↑ southernbubby ↓

Wed, Aug 09 2006, 4:57 pm

Since gifts to a kallah is a social obligation, it might not be considered maaser unless it is not in direct connection to being invited to a chassunah. If someone is raising money for the couple as a tzedukah, than maaser can be used. Usually people give a gift if they are invited to a chassunah so that would not be considered maaser, unless someone is giving beyond the expected amount for the purpose of giving a gift plus tzedukah.

mumsy23

Wed, Aug 09 2006, 4:58 pm

We asked our Rav about tuition and he quoted a gemara that says something like 'If you use maaser for things you are going to buy/pay for anyway (I.e. tuition) you will be cursed shock

) So DH doesn't let us use maaser for tuition Crying

↑ southernbubby

Wed, Aug 09 2006, 5:02 pm

If part of the tuition is to pay for the cost of a poor student to attend, than that portion of tuition can be considered maaser. If a person is so strapped for funds that he cannot pay tuition, than it is preferable to pay it with maaser than to give the maaser elsewhere, or fail to pay tuition.

momofgirls

Wed, Aug 09 2006, 6:25 pm

I guess if we are on the topic of Maaser, If you have any extra please pm me. I am collecting for my sisters kids. I don't want to go into details in the forum if you pm me I can give you detail & e-mail a haskama letter. We are in desperate need. we need about $5000.00 a month for the family.
Thanks

realeez

Wed, Aug 09 2006, 6:40 pm

My rav said that if you go to a store owned by a frum yid who is poor and the product costs more (even if it is not the identical product) then you can consider the difference to be maaser b/c you are supporting him in a dignified manner.

BrachaVHatzlocha ↓

Wed, Aug 09 2006, 6:44 pm

If you're asking because you're low on money, there are ways to "lessen" your maaser. Speak to your Rov, but you might be able to do salary minus certain expenses and then take 10% off what's left.
You can use maaser for raffles and chinese auctions if you wouldn't spend the money if it weren't for tzedaka.

Marion ↓

Mon, Nov 20 2006, 7:00 am

I usually ma'aser our take home pay. In other words, what actually goes into my bank account after statutory deductions, not what my contract says I get. (Aren't social benefit taxes a form of ma'aser anyway? Since those who really need them aren't usually contributing?)

shalhevet ↓

Mon, Nov 20 2006, 7:41 am

Marion wrote:

Bituach Leumi (National insurance) and Bituach Refui (state health insurance) are for your benefit. Ask a rav.

TzenaRena

Mon, Nov 20 2006, 9:11 am

mommyabc123 wrote:

Does the same apply if you lower your usual fee for your client?

Ruchel

Mon, Nov 20 2006, 1:01 pm

I've always heard you can use it for Jewish school, which can be MUCH more than 10%.
I also remember having a Lubavich (I think) neighbour who had only 2 daughters left at home (other kids were grown up) and she always complained of giving much more than maaser...

↑ Marion ↓

Mon, Nov 20 2006, 3:04 pm

mummyof6 wrote:

Marion wrote:

Bituach Leumi (National insurance) and Bituach Refui (state health insurance) are for your benefit. Ask a rav.

Oh yeah? Only if you can get them to pay up when you're entitled! I still don't see why I should pay ma'aser on money I never own. I have enough trouble keeping up with it as it is.

↑ shalhevet ↓

Mon, Nov 20 2006, 3:30 pm

Marion wrote:

mummyof6 wrote:

Marion wrote:

Bituach Leumi (National insurance) and Bituach Refui (state health insurance) are for your benefit. Ask a rav.

Oh yeah? Only if you can get them to pay up when you're entitled! I still don't see why I should pay ma'aser on money I never own. I have enough trouble keeping up with it as it is.

You don't get child benefit? You don't belong to a kuppat cholim? Confused

↑ Marion ↓

Tue, Nov 21 2006, 2:06 am

mummyof6 wrote:

Marion wrote:

mummyof6 wrote:

Marion wrote:

Bituach Leumi (National insurance) and Bituach Refui (state health insurance) are for your benefit. Ask a rav.

Oh yeah? Only if you can get them to pay up when you're entitled! I still don't see why I should pay ma'aser on money I never own. I have enough trouble keeping up with it as it is.

You don't get child benefit? You don't belong to a kuppat cholim? Confused

Sure I do. But my (and my husband's) bituach leumi payments are a lot higher than what I get in child benefits. (And we've been paying them for much longer than we've had children too.) And with the exception of the pediatrician and family doctor, we pay for our kupah, so the Health Tax is also not so much to my benefit. Bituach Leumi has most recently denied my claim for unemployment insurance (for the 2 months I was out of work) because they want me to provide a form which I've already provided (twice) but I can't discuss it with them because I don't have my "secret code" which they never sent me.

↑ shalhevet

Tue, Nov 21 2006, 7:14 am

Quote:

And with the exception of the pediatrician and family doctor, we pay for our kupah, so the Health Tax is also not so much to my benefit.

Marion, this discussion is getting ridiculous. You pay the full fee when you go to a specialist or some token amount? You said yourself you don't pay for primary care.

Ten years ago you would get your pay check, take out the money and go and pay it to the kuppah yourself.

This of course does not mean you have to pay maaser on this, because it is dependant on other factors, but it IS part of your income, even if you don't see it.

JRKmommy ↓

Tue, Nov 21 2006, 9:55 am

I think we're getting different jurisdictions confused.

Marion - are you in Canada, or am I getting confused b/c of the Hebrew terms?

For mummyof6: in Canada, we have the following main deductions from pay:

Income tax
Employment Insurance
Canada Pension Plan

Income tax goes to pay for most government services, except for the local stuff which comes from property taxes. We don't pay directly for basic health care (doctors, most tests, ward room in hospital), but that's covered by basic general taxes, not a separate health tax. [When Marion talked about Kupah, she may have meant private supplemental health insurance, which covers dental, semi-private hospital rooms, medical equipment, dental care and pharmaceuticals.] The same basic tax also subsidizes stuff that I don't use - public school education, transporting 40,000 Lebanese with Canadian passports back to Canada, illegal kickbacks to firms run by government supporters in Quebec, etc.

Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan - some workers end up subsidizing others, but theoretically, I'd agree that there could be an element of benefit to the worker related to these deductions.