[Avodah] Torah Institutions = Tzeddakah?

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, November 21, 2007 6:30 pm, Zev Sero wrote:
:> Historically, Ashkenazim gave maaser. But nearly all of us did so in
:> the form of taxation by the autonomous kehillah.

: AIUI the tax was only 5%, and the other 5% was "ish es kodoshov
: lo yihyu".

Depends when and where.

Skipping to the part about which I disagree:
:                                                              The core
: requirement of 1/3 shekel per annum -- that, AFAIK, must be spent on
: actual tzedaka in its strictest definition.

See the AhS YD 251:5, which says that someone who has food for his own
table isn't allowed to rely on this minimum. And someone who has
sufficient money "vaday dechayav bitzdaqah maaser or chomesh". Efshar
lomar he too held it was lehalakhah, not just minhag.

(AhS Yomi is at YD 395. EhE starts a week from tomorrow -- good time
to join!)

With berakhos that none of us ever experience the AhS's first
category, vesheTir'u baTov!
-micha

-- 
Micha Berger             One who kills his inclination is as though he
micha at aishdas.org        brought an offering. But to bring an offering,
http://www.aishdas.org   you must know where to slaughter and what
Fax: (270) 514-1507      parts to offer.        - R' Simcha Zissel Ziv