Q&A: Investing Tithe Money for Children’s Weddings
Investing Tithe Money for Children’s Weddings
Question
Hello and blessings to the honored Rabbi, may he live long and well,
Nowadays, when there are many kinds of “investments,” it is worth discussing whether one may “invest” tithe money for the sake of one’s children’s weddings, or supporting them during their first year, and the like; perhaps there is a distinction here.
After all, seemingly it is explicit that one may use tithe money for the children’s weddings [Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah sec. 250:1], but this requires analysis from several angles:
A] From when may one do so? That is, is a kollel student at the beginning of his way considered “poor”? Is there a difference between a kollel student who “makes it through the month” and one who does not?
B] Regarding whether it is permitted to invest in stocks and the like [where there is no concern of interest, etc.]:
1) May one place the money in “investments” for, say, five years, and afterward take for his sons’ and daughters’ weddings the profit and the principal of the tithe money he originally gave, and only after that time give it to the poor? Or perhaps this is forbidden, since there is a law of “do not delay” [Rosh Hashanah 6a]. And according to the first possibility, the source would be Tosafot in Taanit [9a], who brought from the Sifrei that one should calculate it once a year, so perhaps the parameters are broader…
2) It also requires analysis whether one may invest in something that could “fall,” for it is explained in Ketubot [106a] that one may not profit with a poor person’s money lest poor people come and he will have nothing to give them. See also the Jerusalem Talmud in Shekalim [2:4], and perhaps one can distinguish between them… and think carefully about it.
C] Even if you would say that one may give for his son’s wedding, Tosafot in Ketubot [26a, and so ruled in Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah sec. 259:9] explains that one may not give all the gifts to one poor person.
I would be very happy if the Rabbi would resolve these doubts, or perhaps they are not really “doubts” at all.
One of the younger students,
Answer
Hello,
This is discussing sec. 251:3-4 (not sec. 250:1). Incidentally, it deals with charity, not specifically tithing (which, as is known, is according to most opinions a custom).
Of course, it is speaking only about a situation where the children are in the status of poor people, 200 zuz and the like. In such a case he may give them from charity funds, and indeed should give them precedence over others. But if they are not poor, he has no permission to give to them from charity funds.
I did not understand whether you are asking about giving to his children, or investing for the sake of giving to them in the future. If they are not poor right now, there is no permission to give to them, nor to take from charity in order to invest for them. If they are poor right now, there may perhaps be room to invest for them if they can somehow manage until the profits are realized.
From here on, these are questions that do not seem connected to giving to children, but rather to tithing in general.
Discussion on Answer
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Is there בכלל a halakhic source for giving tithes?