Q&A: Taxes vs. Charity
Taxes vs. Charity
Question
Hello Rabbi Michael,
Is it considered charity nowadays if someone pays income tax, and standard taxes in general that are deducted on salary slips?
After all, part of that money goes to National Insurance, which helps the weak and so on.
Or can one say that since the state gave it and not me, it does not count as an act of charity at all?
Thank you,
Shalom
Answer
The halakhic decisors are divided on this. Simply speaking, at least the part that goes to the poor is charity. But public needs are also considered charity. And the fact that they compel me is no different from the law of compelling charity.
However, regarding the tithe, there is a problem, because I am obligated in this, and what I am compelled to give may not count toward the tithe.
Discussion on Answer
And does a commemoration of the half-shekel itself have a source? The fact that the Rema writes it does not mean there is a source. How is he different from any other book in our time? These are customs, and customs develop from below. This is not an attempt to extort, and not from ordinary people. I suggest you stop with this demagoguery.
Far be it from me to cast doubt on the Rema.
I was asking about many institutions today that promise all kinds of salvations and blessings and all kinds of segulot; there is no need to elaborate, there are very, very many of them. And they sometimes exploit the weakness of people who have already despaired of their situation and place all their trust in this.
I was being very serious and not demagogic.
The fact that the Rema mentioned 3 half-coins can be understood as a commemoration of the half-shekel.
But the fact that today it suddenly jumped to 10 grams of silver—it is understandable to ask why that changed.
As for the fact that nowadays some have the practice of giving 10 grams, which are 3 silver dirhams, as a commemoration of the half-shekel—what is that? Is there any halakhic source for it at all, or is it just an attempt to squeeze more money out of ordinary people? I am asking apart from the Rema, who brought the custom of 3 half-coins.
I would be happy to know your opinion on the matter, and more generally about all the attempts to squeeze from ordinary people whatever they can in order to fund all kinds of "institutions," sometimes questionable and sometimes not.
Do you see these phenomena in a positive light?
Thank you,
Shalom