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Can purchasing tickets for high holidays services count as maaser?
Can tax ever be considered maaser?Source for Maaser MoneyWhy do we recite Sh'losh Esrei Middos 3 times during the pre-Torah service on the High Holidays?What is the origin of using a different trope mode for the High Holidays in Nusach Ashkenaz?Why is there a common custom to place white coverings in shul for the High Holidays?Can I use maaser to buy myself (kosher) books and clothes?High holidays in the TorahCan one give maaser before getting paid?What can you use Maaser for?How can Biur Sheviit precede Biur Maaser?
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Many synagogues require purchasing tickets/seats to attend high holiday services. Can money paid for this purpose count as a donation to the synagogue from a ma'aser perspective (count as a valid use of the 10% of income)?
Assume that there are multiple synagogue options in this city.
Edit:
I am specifically talking about the scenario where purchase is required to enter the synagogue itself (although related information is welcome).
synagogue maaser-tithes high-holidays
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
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AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
Many synagogues require purchasing tickets/seats to attend high holiday services. Can money paid for this purpose count as a donation to the synagogue from a ma'aser perspective (count as a valid use of the 10% of income)?
Assume that there are multiple synagogue options in this city.
Edit:
I am specifically talking about the scenario where purchase is required to enter the synagogue itself (although related information is welcome).
synagogue maaser-tithes high-holidays
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Many synagogues require purchasing tickets/seats to attend high holiday services. Can money paid for this purpose count as a donation to the synagogue from a ma'aser perspective (count as a valid use of the 10% of income)?
Assume that there are multiple synagogue options in this city.
Edit:
I am specifically talking about the scenario where purchase is required to enter the synagogue itself (although related information is welcome).
synagogue maaser-tithes high-holidays
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Many synagogues require purchasing tickets/seats to attend high holiday services. Can money paid for this purpose count as a donation to the synagogue from a ma'aser perspective (count as a valid use of the 10% of income)?
Assume that there are multiple synagogue options in this city.
Edit:
I am specifically talking about the scenario where purchase is required to enter the synagogue itself (although related information is welcome).
synagogue maaser-tithes high-holidays
synagogue maaser-tithes high-holidays
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 6 hours ago
AMR
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
AMRAMR
412 bronze badges
412 bronze badges
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
AMR is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
TL;DR maybe yes... but it depends, should CYLOR just to be safe
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun in a chabadinfo.com article titled "Can I Buy my Seat With Maaser Money?" says it depends:
There is a discussion among contemporary poskim whether maaser (one tenth of one’s earnings that is earmarked for tzedakah) may be used to purchase a seat [for the High Holy Days].
According to many poskim, maaser money may be used not only for tzedekah but also towards fulfilling certain non-obligatory mitzvos.
However, buying a seat in shul does not fall under that category [of being able to be used for non-obligatory mitzvot]. Davening in shul is a mitzvah, but having a seat simply facilitates the mitzvah by adding to the person’s comfort; albeit they will be davening with more kavanah, which is considered a mitzvah, it doesn’t justify spending maaser money for it.
Whereas money goes to the shul, they are actually buying a product for themselves – a seat – which has market value.
R' Braun writes how he believes there are instances when maaser money can be used to buy Yomim Noraim seats.
However, if one owns a seat permanently, or if there are many empty seats in their shul and they are buying a seat in order to support the shul, they can certainly pay for it with maaser money.
and also:
In the same vein, if the shul sells more expensive seats and less expensive ones, and one buys the more expensive seat when they could have managed just as well with a less expensive one, then they may use their maaser money to pay for the difference between the cheaper seat and the one they are buying.
Rav Akiva Dershowitz of tvunah.org takes a more lenient approach:
Being that the money is going to a shul, which is certainly a valid recipient of maaser and tzedaka, buying a seat for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur would also be permitted. The Taz [YD: 249] permits using maaser money for a wide range of mitzvos, but here where the money is going to a shul, this would certainly qualify for maaser. The only issue would be that maaser can’t be spent on something one has to spend money for anyway, which would be paying one’s debt with maser, in a sense. However here, since strictly speaking one is not required to purchase a seat in the shul, as he could daven somewhere else or in the shul and stand for davening. Hence, purchasing a seat is not comparable to paying one’s debt and may be done with maaser ksafim.
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
1
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
1
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
TL;DR maybe yes... but it depends, should CYLOR just to be safe
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun in a chabadinfo.com article titled "Can I Buy my Seat With Maaser Money?" says it depends:
There is a discussion among contemporary poskim whether maaser (one tenth of one’s earnings that is earmarked for tzedakah) may be used to purchase a seat [for the High Holy Days].
According to many poskim, maaser money may be used not only for tzedekah but also towards fulfilling certain non-obligatory mitzvos.
However, buying a seat in shul does not fall under that category [of being able to be used for non-obligatory mitzvot]. Davening in shul is a mitzvah, but having a seat simply facilitates the mitzvah by adding to the person’s comfort; albeit they will be davening with more kavanah, which is considered a mitzvah, it doesn’t justify spending maaser money for it.
Whereas money goes to the shul, they are actually buying a product for themselves – a seat – which has market value.
R' Braun writes how he believes there are instances when maaser money can be used to buy Yomim Noraim seats.
However, if one owns a seat permanently, or if there are many empty seats in their shul and they are buying a seat in order to support the shul, they can certainly pay for it with maaser money.
and also:
In the same vein, if the shul sells more expensive seats and less expensive ones, and one buys the more expensive seat when they could have managed just as well with a less expensive one, then they may use their maaser money to pay for the difference between the cheaper seat and the one they are buying.
Rav Akiva Dershowitz of tvunah.org takes a more lenient approach:
Being that the money is going to a shul, which is certainly a valid recipient of maaser and tzedaka, buying a seat for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur would also be permitted. The Taz [YD: 249] permits using maaser money for a wide range of mitzvos, but here where the money is going to a shul, this would certainly qualify for maaser. The only issue would be that maaser can’t be spent on something one has to spend money for anyway, which would be paying one’s debt with maser, in a sense. However here, since strictly speaking one is not required to purchase a seat in the shul, as he could daven somewhere else or in the shul and stand for davening. Hence, purchasing a seat is not comparable to paying one’s debt and may be done with maaser ksafim.
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
1
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
1
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
add a comment |
TL;DR maybe yes... but it depends, should CYLOR just to be safe
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun in a chabadinfo.com article titled "Can I Buy my Seat With Maaser Money?" says it depends:
There is a discussion among contemporary poskim whether maaser (one tenth of one’s earnings that is earmarked for tzedakah) may be used to purchase a seat [for the High Holy Days].
According to many poskim, maaser money may be used not only for tzedekah but also towards fulfilling certain non-obligatory mitzvos.
However, buying a seat in shul does not fall under that category [of being able to be used for non-obligatory mitzvot]. Davening in shul is a mitzvah, but having a seat simply facilitates the mitzvah by adding to the person’s comfort; albeit they will be davening with more kavanah, which is considered a mitzvah, it doesn’t justify spending maaser money for it.
Whereas money goes to the shul, they are actually buying a product for themselves – a seat – which has market value.
R' Braun writes how he believes there are instances when maaser money can be used to buy Yomim Noraim seats.
However, if one owns a seat permanently, or if there are many empty seats in their shul and they are buying a seat in order to support the shul, they can certainly pay for it with maaser money.
and also:
In the same vein, if the shul sells more expensive seats and less expensive ones, and one buys the more expensive seat when they could have managed just as well with a less expensive one, then they may use their maaser money to pay for the difference between the cheaper seat and the one they are buying.
Rav Akiva Dershowitz of tvunah.org takes a more lenient approach:
Being that the money is going to a shul, which is certainly a valid recipient of maaser and tzedaka, buying a seat for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur would also be permitted. The Taz [YD: 249] permits using maaser money for a wide range of mitzvos, but here where the money is going to a shul, this would certainly qualify for maaser. The only issue would be that maaser can’t be spent on something one has to spend money for anyway, which would be paying one’s debt with maser, in a sense. However here, since strictly speaking one is not required to purchase a seat in the shul, as he could daven somewhere else or in the shul and stand for davening. Hence, purchasing a seat is not comparable to paying one’s debt and may be done with maaser ksafim.
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
1
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
1
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
add a comment |
TL;DR maybe yes... but it depends, should CYLOR just to be safe
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun in a chabadinfo.com article titled "Can I Buy my Seat With Maaser Money?" says it depends:
There is a discussion among contemporary poskim whether maaser (one tenth of one’s earnings that is earmarked for tzedakah) may be used to purchase a seat [for the High Holy Days].
According to many poskim, maaser money may be used not only for tzedekah but also towards fulfilling certain non-obligatory mitzvos.
However, buying a seat in shul does not fall under that category [of being able to be used for non-obligatory mitzvot]. Davening in shul is a mitzvah, but having a seat simply facilitates the mitzvah by adding to the person’s comfort; albeit they will be davening with more kavanah, which is considered a mitzvah, it doesn’t justify spending maaser money for it.
Whereas money goes to the shul, they are actually buying a product for themselves – a seat – which has market value.
R' Braun writes how he believes there are instances when maaser money can be used to buy Yomim Noraim seats.
However, if one owns a seat permanently, or if there are many empty seats in their shul and they are buying a seat in order to support the shul, they can certainly pay for it with maaser money.
and also:
In the same vein, if the shul sells more expensive seats and less expensive ones, and one buys the more expensive seat when they could have managed just as well with a less expensive one, then they may use their maaser money to pay for the difference between the cheaper seat and the one they are buying.
Rav Akiva Dershowitz of tvunah.org takes a more lenient approach:
Being that the money is going to a shul, which is certainly a valid recipient of maaser and tzedaka, buying a seat for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur would also be permitted. The Taz [YD: 249] permits using maaser money for a wide range of mitzvos, but here where the money is going to a shul, this would certainly qualify for maaser. The only issue would be that maaser can’t be spent on something one has to spend money for anyway, which would be paying one’s debt with maser, in a sense. However here, since strictly speaking one is not required to purchase a seat in the shul, as he could daven somewhere else or in the shul and stand for davening. Hence, purchasing a seat is not comparable to paying one’s debt and may be done with maaser ksafim.
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
TL;DR maybe yes... but it depends, should CYLOR just to be safe
Rav Yosef Yeshaya Braun in a chabadinfo.com article titled "Can I Buy my Seat With Maaser Money?" says it depends:
There is a discussion among contemporary poskim whether maaser (one tenth of one’s earnings that is earmarked for tzedakah) may be used to purchase a seat [for the High Holy Days].
According to many poskim, maaser money may be used not only for tzedekah but also towards fulfilling certain non-obligatory mitzvos.
However, buying a seat in shul does not fall under that category [of being able to be used for non-obligatory mitzvot]. Davening in shul is a mitzvah, but having a seat simply facilitates the mitzvah by adding to the person’s comfort; albeit they will be davening with more kavanah, which is considered a mitzvah, it doesn’t justify spending maaser money for it.
Whereas money goes to the shul, they are actually buying a product for themselves – a seat – which has market value.
R' Braun writes how he believes there are instances when maaser money can be used to buy Yomim Noraim seats.
However, if one owns a seat permanently, or if there are many empty seats in their shul and they are buying a seat in order to support the shul, they can certainly pay for it with maaser money.
and also:
In the same vein, if the shul sells more expensive seats and less expensive ones, and one buys the more expensive seat when they could have managed just as well with a less expensive one, then they may use their maaser money to pay for the difference between the cheaper seat and the one they are buying.
Rav Akiva Dershowitz of tvunah.org takes a more lenient approach:
Being that the money is going to a shul, which is certainly a valid recipient of maaser and tzedaka, buying a seat for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur would also be permitted. The Taz [YD: 249] permits using maaser money for a wide range of mitzvos, but here where the money is going to a shul, this would certainly qualify for maaser. The only issue would be that maaser can’t be spent on something one has to spend money for anyway, which would be paying one’s debt with maser, in a sense. However here, since strictly speaking one is not required to purchase a seat in the shul, as he could daven somewhere else or in the shul and stand for davening. Hence, purchasing a seat is not comparable to paying one’s debt and may be done with maaser ksafim.
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
answered 8 hours ago
alichtalicht
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
5,2622 gold badges9 silver badges38 bronze badges
1
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
1
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
add a comment |
1
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
1
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
1
1
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
Many shuls don't like people standing in the aisles during davening.
– Heshy
8 hours ago
1
1
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
Thank you for the detailed answer. I was specifically talking about the case where purchasing a ticket is required for entry to the shul itself--not just affecting one's comfort but one's ability to pray in that shul as opposed to elsewhere. Do you think Rav Braun would consider this a "product" even though it is a prerequisite for prayer and not an enhancement? It sounds a bit from the third quote as if it would not be accepted by him. It sounds like Rav Dershowitz would allow it, since a person could choose to go to a different shul and is instead choosing to pay to attend this one.
– AMR
6 hours ago
add a comment |
