[Avodah] what's the source?

[Zev Sero]

On 17/03/2011 7:25 PM, Saul.Z.Newman at kp.org wrote:
>
> online someone noted in his shul a collector stating ----
>
> And then he said that it is a minhag to give Matanos La'Evyonim on Taanis
> Esther and on Purim (and then he repeated that it is a minhag to give on
> Taanis Esther), and /minhag yisroel torah hee, /customs of Israel are like
> actual Torah (and should be treated like obligations).
>
> --what's the source for the minhag of matanos leevyonim on taanis esther?
> [i will not ask my usual question about the 5th mitzva of purim ]

There's a minhag on every fast day to give the poor the money that one
would have spent on food.  Perhaps that's what he's talking about.
And of course there's the minhag of machtzis hashekel, which is usually
done at mincha on Taanis Ester.

-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                      - Margaret Thatcher