Q&A: Giving a Lulav
Giving a Lulav
Question
Hello Rabbi, happy holidays,
In recent years there has been an organization that sells the four species, and the money goes to charity.
My question is whether this is proper from a halakhic standpoint—does one also fulfill the commandment of charity through this? (The practical difference would be whether it can be bought from tithe money.)
And is it right from a value-based standpoint to mix these two commandments together?
In short, I’d be interested in your opinion on this
Thank you
Answer
Absolutely. I myself make a point of buying from them every year. I didn’t understand what problem you see in part of the money going to charity.
There may be room to deduct it from tithe money, although that isn’t so appropriate. Their whole idea is that the cost of the species is not more expensive through them. They simply reduce the cost of service and organization, so the charity is mainly coming from them and less from you. You spent on the four species what you would have spent even without them. But I assume you do have a commandment here, since you could have chosen not to buy there.
Discussion on Answer
Not at all (just as giving two coins to charity is not considered “doing commandments in bundles”). And beyond the obvious point, there is no commandment to buy the four species. There is a commandment to take them. Is it also forbidden to tithe the etrogim so as not to do commandments in bundles?
What does the Rabbi think—that we should buy cars, maybe a living-room couch, maybe curtains or an iPhone, when the profits go to charity?
Why is it specifically when spending on commandments that all these justifications come up?
Maybe because on a couch it matters to us to spend money, and likewise on a car,
but on the four species it doesn’t?
That basically shows a cheapening of the commandment…
?
This discussion isn’t going anywhere. Buy cars for charity. Who’s stopping you?
The answer is yes, it definitely does show a cheapening of the commandment. This isn’t a halakhic question; it’s a question of playing innocent in the face of plain common sense.
Isn’t this a case of doing commandments in bundles?