Q&A: Donating to a Kollel Student
Donating to a Kollel Student
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I wanted to ask: a kollel student asked me to donate to him from my tithe money.
He claims that his situation is strained and that his wife does not earn enough.
In principle, he explained to me that his wife could earn more, but for that she would need to work a job with longer hours. Then it would be hard for them with the children.
And he is a kollel student and does not work, so according to him their financial situation is not simple.
I wanted to ask whether, in your opinion, one may donate in such a case from tithe money. I personally do not care that much whether the money goes here or there.
But at the end of the day, he can go out and work. True, he has no education, but he could find a minimum-wage job at the very least. And his wife could also work more.
I understand donating to people who work and still cannot make it to the end of the month. But here the situation is different.
Answer
There are halakhic decisors who permit giving from tithe money to support Torah study (and not only to the poor). According to their view, this is certainly possible. But even if one gives only to the poor, it seems to me that the matter depends on whether that kollel student is worthy of sitting and supporting himself from charity. If he is talented and diligent, then he is worthy, and his poverty is therefore justified and he is considered poor. But an ordinary kollel student, in my opinion, should not be given support. He should go out and work.