Q&A: Gifts to the Poor
Gifts to the Poor
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I wanted to ask: what is the rule regarding gifts to the poor by bank transfer?
A. If it reaches the account that same day, is there any difference between that and giving it by hand? (The poor person may not know that money was deposited for him; if he does not check his account, it is possible that he will not go buy holiday needs with it.)
B. If a transfer is possible, what happens when the poor person belongs to a different bank, so that the transfer will arrive two days later? Should one make the transfer two days before Purim so that it arrives that same day? (Is it not a problem that the giving is done before Purim?) Or should one make the transfer that same day even though it will arrive two days later?
Thank you very much in advance.
Answer
The accepted view is that gifts to the poor are intended for the poor person’s Purim meal. Giving it on that very day is meant to ensure that the money will be used for his Purim meal and that he will not spend it on something else.
See also my discussion in Column 236 on the laws of charity and the practical difference this creates for gifts to the poor.