Tips for counselors from Maaseer?

amother

OP ↓

Tue, Aug 06 2024, 5:46 pm

The morahs are moms and some are middle/high school age.
I always want to give them as I know they aren't paid well and camp is expensive. It's not free for the counselors kids.

I assumed it's fine from Maaser yet didn't ask. Has anyone asked? I want to give them to help with the summer costs and can give nicely from Maaser. Otherwise it's tight. I can't say what they'll actually use it for.
Thoughts? Has anyone asked? If so, which sect rov?

juggling

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 8:53 am

If you happen to know that a specific morah is actually poor and in need of tzedaka money and you want to tip her nicely as a way of giving her so that she won't consider it tzedaka, that sounds like a great mitzvah.

If that's not the case, but you just think they should be poor based on their wages, that's not tzedaka. They may have income from other sources, inheritance, very low expenses, who knows. Not everyone who is a low earner needs tzedaka.

amother

Starflower ↓

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 8:57 am

Definitely worth asking your LOR. Many people with Summer jobs are eligible for Tzedaka, otherwise they wouldn't be working in the Summer.

amother

Acacia ↓

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:02 am

amother Starflower wrote:

Definitely worth asking your LOR. Many people with Summer jobs are eligible for Tzedaka, otherwise they wouldn't be working in the Summer.

People work summer jobs presumably because they need money. However, if they have jobs and can pay their bills they are not eligible for tzedaka.

I've worked minimum wage jobs because we could use the extra money at the time. But my husband had a perfectly good job and we were managing just fine. I would have been really insulted if someone decided I must need tzedaka, or why would I be working such a job.

amother

Hyacinth

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:06 am

If im understanding op correctly she may not be able to afford to give tips and is asking if she can use maaser money. Op if this is the case ask your rav.

LittleDucky

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:12 am

Maaser is tzeddakah money. A tip isn't tzeddakah. Especially if it is given to all without looking at need, and how are you to know someone's true need and if they qualify for tzeddakah?

Sorry but I don't see how it would be considered maaser.

amother

↑ Acacia ↓

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:17 am

amother Hyacinth wrote:

If im understanding op correctly she may not be able to afford to give tips and is asking if she can use maaser money. Op if this is the case ask your rav.

If she can't afford her electric bill without using maaser money does that make it an option? If a tip is part of paying for camp, figure out a way to pay it. But it's not tzedaka.

amother

↑ Starflower ↓

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:21 am

amother Acacia wrote:

Of course if someone is told they can use Ma'aser money they shouldn't tell the receiver it's Ma'aser. You're right, that would be insulting!

amother

Cobalt

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:22 am

I've asked this question to a Rav in regards to participating in wedding showers and was told if I know that the kallah is eligible for tzedaka, then yes. Otherwise, no.

So I would assume if you know a teacher is in a tight financial situation, then yes. But if you're just assuming/guessing based on her job, then no.

Best to ask your own Rav.

amother

↑ Acacia ↓

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:40 am

amother Starflower wrote:

Of course if someone is told they can use Ma'aser money they shouldn't tell the receiver it's Ma'aser. You're right, that would be insulting!

No, that wasn't my point. Obviously you don't tell someone you're giving them tzedaka.

My point was, you can't decide, based on someone's job or wage, that they are in need of tzedaka. Lots of people work summer jobs who don't need tzedaka. Unless you know that someone isn't making it, don't decide they're poor just because they're working in a camp.

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 9:41 am

amother Hyacinth wrote:

If im understanding op correctly she may not be able to afford to give tips and is asking if she can use maaser money. Op if this is the case ask your rav.

That too.
I can't. Yet uido have Maaser.
Also thinking of their end. Id like it to benefit them for their kids camp and other needs.

amother

↑ NeonBlue

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 10:35 am

amother Starflower wrote:

Definitely worth asking your LOR. Many people with Summer jobs are eligible for Tzedaka, otherwise they wouldn't be working in the Summer.

Firstly, what about all the teenage girls??

Secondly, not true even for women.

amother

↑ Starflower ↓

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 11:06 am

amother NeonBlue wrote:

Firstly, what about all the teenage girls??

Secondly, not true even for women.

Obviously I'm talking about those eligible for Tzedakah. Sorry, I thought that was obvious.

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 11:55 am

amother Starflower wrote:

Definitely worth asking your LOR. Many people with Summer jobs are eligible for Tzedaka, otherwise they wouldn't be working in the Summer.

So judgemental. That people who work in the summer must be poor.

amother

↑ Starflower

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 11:58 am

amother Seafoam wrote:

So judgemental. That people who work in the summer must be poor.

I'm sorry I don't mean to be judgemental, but I do know people who have to take Summer jobs just to be able to manage their bills.

Some need to and some don't, I don't see why it's judgemental.

amother

↑ Acacia

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 8:02 pm

amother Starflower wrote:

I'm sorry I don't mean to be judgemental, but I do know people who have to take Summer jobs just to be able to manage their bills.

Some need to and some don't, I don't see why it's judgemental.

Even if they take summer jobs to manage their bills, perhaps if they have this job they are managing their bills, and they don't need tzedaka. Lots of people have tight finances but they manage. Not everyone who struggles to pay their bills is "needy".

amother

Violet

Wed, Aug 07 2024, 8:07 pm

Ask your LOR.
I had a service provider who I would have tipped much more minimally based on my current income. However, I knew he was making a wedding and in general has made comments about not being able to afford to take any days off due to mortgage payments, etc. I was told I could give him a nicer tip from maaser as a nicer way to give tzedakah. However, a Morah that just does something as a Parnassah may not need tzedakah. So it can’t be a blanket answer.