[Avodah] charity to the rich

[Eli Turkel]

<<If there is a community of people who are all members of, e.g., The
Stork Club, and one of them is fallen among thieves so that he can no
longer afford his Stork Club membership, then I think it is perfectly
reasonable for the other members of his community to chip in and pay
the Stork Club membership of their friend, so that he can continue to
show his face in his community.  And I think that those who do so can
properly and legitimately think of their act as tzedaqa, and so it
will be adjudged in the Heavenly Court.>>

The more usual psak is that this would be a mitzvah perhaps for the first year
of "poverty". There is ni mitzvah to keep a formerly rich person in his previous
status for ever. The mitzvah is to wean him slowly into the real world.

Hence, if the poor person is a heavy smoker he should be taught to quit smoking
and save the money (in addition to health benefits). However, this should be
done gradually and not overnight.

This past shabbat was Paamonim shabbat and the derashah we heard from a Paamonim
represnetative stresse dthis point base don several statements of chazal.

-- 
Eli Turkel