[Avodah] Tell the Person Collecting "Daddy Is Not Available"

[Prof. Levine]

>From  http://revach.net/article.php?id=720   (Note the last two sentences.) YL

Shevet HeKehosi: Tell the Person Collecting "Daddy Is Not Available"

If someone knocks on the door collecting tzedoka and a child answers 
when his father is sleeping should he wake up his father or not? The 
Shevet HaKehosi (5:176) says no. Although the Sefer Chasidim says you 
should wake up your father for a mitzva since it will make him happy, 
nevertheless tzedoka is different.

Firstly unless the son knows for a fact that his father has enough 
money to support his family, he may not even be obligated to give 
tzedoka according to some acharonim. Even according to those who say 
he is still obligated, they agree that there is no mitzva to give 
this particular collector. Additionally the son cannot be sure that 
this collector is worthy. He may be a crook which is all too common 
nowadays, according to the Shevet HaKehosi. Therefore it is better to 
ask the collector to come back later unless the father specifically 
asks to be woken up.

Interestingly the Sefer Chasidim says that Dama Ben Nesina did not 
wake his father up to get the keys to sell the jewel to the Chachomim 
because the profit was his alone. If his father would have profited 
from the sale it would have been permissible to wake his father up.

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