Question about tzedaka & vacation

naturalmom5

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 5:37 pm

" OP, I understand how conflicted you feel because I was faced with a similar situation recently. It was very hard for me to do, but I gave anyway. My mitzva is to give when asked. The recipient is the one that has to judge what their needs are. It is not for me as the donor to decide whether or not they need the money, or if they're spending it irresponsibly.

L'fim Tzara Agra. You have the opportunity to earn that much more schar."

That sounds really groovy in a kum-ba-ya pass the bong way..

One teeny weeny problem.

The Gam' in Baba Basra says 'nitna bshanayim v nischalek bshalosha'
Roughly, that means , Purim is the only gave when you give blindly to whoever asks. Otherwise, a vaad decides how tzedoka is distributed. Tomchei Tzedoka of Lakewood is relatively good at this.

The Rif, Ran, Behag, and other early codifiers all spell out what the priorities are.

The Rambam in Hilchos Tzedoka, as well as, Yoreh Deah Hil. Tzedoka clearly delineates who to give to first and how much..

As for the recipient, the mishna in Peah tells us, that if you claim to be poor and ask for charity, and you really aren't, you won't leave this world until you really are poor..

mommy3b2c

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 6:16 pm

JoyInTheMorning wrote:

Mommy3b2c, those are two very serious and happy fishermen! Smile

It's great that you have a lake (or is that a creek?) in the colony. We have a creek literally steps away from our house and wildlife galore. It's so great for kids!

It’s not in the bungalow colony, but nearby.

And at night we did fireworks and a bbq in the colony to celebrate July 4. It was a fun day.

Seas

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 6:48 pm

naturalmom5 wrote:

Rav Moishe Feinstein ztz"l paskens that the obligation to do due diligence is only on a public tzedakkah fund. But a private person can choose to give to whoever they want. Or not to give, as the case may be.

Some people are just abusers and totally irresponsible, who confuse wants with needs.

amother

Mustard

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 6:58 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

This is the way life was meant to be lived. It’s he most wonderful experience in the world. I grew up with it, and I’m so glad I can give it to my kids.

I’m always baffled by people who use such strong language to describe their summer country experience, but don’t consider moving to a more suburban area where kids can do this for six months out of the year. If you think this is how life is meant to be lived, there are so many options to make that a year round experience. Why don’t you do that?

iyar

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 7:07 pm

Mommy3b, I'm not here to tell people how to spend their money. As another amother pointed out there are halachos that delineate priorities in giving tzedaka. After that we can decide where we want to spend our money. I did want to say, I stopped in and saw your gorgeous picture! Loved it!
Enjoy your summer! (They caught fish?)

naturalmom5

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 7:08 pm

Seas wrote:

Thanks I didn't know that

mommy3b2c

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 8:11 pm

amother wrote:

Who says people don’t consider moving? Many do, and then decide to stay in the city anyway.
There are jobs, family, obligations, schools, and so many other decisions to be weighed before people move. Life isn’t perfect. We all do the best we can with what we have.

amother

Mistyrose

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 8:17 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

Living in the suburbs is not the same as being in a bungalow colony. People stay in their big houses all day and drive everywhere. Most don't have woods and fields in their backyards to play in. Depending on the setup and safety concerns, kids can't always be outside from dawn to dusk exploring the great outdoors with other kids. Sure, there are grass and trees, but they're mostly cultivated and on other people's property.

The suburbs are not the same thing as the country.

amother

Cerise

Thu, Jul 05 2018, 8:37 pm

amother wrote:

It's not the same, but it's a happy medium. My kids are outdoors from April-October and enjoy all kind of outdoor activities not available to those who live in cities.