Does Bar Mitzvah boy take maaser from gifts?

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amother

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:26 pm

Title says it all. B"H I just finished making a beautiful Bar Mitzvah for my oldest son, COVID protocols and all. He was of course excited to open his gifts and count up his money and sefarim.

It occurred to me that perhaps he's supposed to give maaser from the cash gifts, but I didn't say anything yet since I don't what's normally done.

Is it obvious that he must give since it's like income, or that he need not since they're gifts and he doesn't have any other income, or is this a question for LOR? I can't be the first person with this question. Those who've made Bar Mitzvahs in the past, what did you do, or what were you told if you asked about this?

amother

Gold

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:30 pm

I don't know what the halacha is but we had our son give maaser from his Bar Mitzva gifts (was a few hundred dollars so we're not talking about big money)
We let him help choose what tzedaka to give to. He decided to give to a fund that helps struggling families in our neighborhood.

Edited: the masser was under $100 , the entire totality of the monetary gifts he got was a few hundred dollars

BetsyTacy

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:45 pm

We did. Some of it after the barmitzvah and some earmarked for when he would receive an aliyah or gelilah in shul, he would have tzedakah to draw from. Also not talking about huge sums here.

Iymnok

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:48 pm

From as young as they understand, we teach our children to separate maaser. This is no different, only that he is now chayuv in it.

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:48 pm

We were told yes.
He gave
1/3 Yeshiva
1/3 shul
1/3 eretz yisroel

It was $120 total maaser

Elfrida

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 4:34 pm

Once he is Bar Mitzvah he is chayav in mitzvot. Even if you could argue that this isn't income, he isn't dependent on this money for food or rent and it is an excellent situation for chinuch.

Help him calculate the amount and decide where it is going, so he can feel that it is really his giving, not just a parent orchestrated thing.

Crookshanks

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 4:55 pm

It's a good way to introduce children to the exhilarating feeling of giving tzedakah. As a child and teen, it was so exciting to choose causes I care about, and to make a real difference.

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