יורה דעה רנ״זYoreh De'ah 257

Se’if 1א׳

גַבָּאֵי צְדָקָה אֵינָם רַשָּׁאִים לִפְרֹשׁ זֶה מִזֶּה בַּשּׁוּק, אֶלָא כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה (טוּר), כְּגוֹן שֶׁיְּהֵא זֶה פּוֹרֵשׁ לַשַּׁעַר וְזֶה פּוֹרֵשׁ לַחֲנוּת, וְגוֹבִים. מָצָא הַגַבַּאי מָעוֹת בַּשּׁוּק, לֹא יִתְּנֵם לְתוֹךְ כִּיסוֹ, אֶלָא לְתוֹךְ אַרְנְקֵי שֶׁל צְדָקָה, וּכְשֶׁיַּגִיעַ לְבֵיתוֹ יִטְּלֵם. הָיָה הַגַבַּאי נוֹשֶׁה בַּחֲבֵרוֹ מָנָה וּפְרָעוֹ בַּשּׁוּק, לֹא יִתְּנֵם לְתוֹךְ כִּיסוֹ, אֶלָא לְתוֹךְ אַרְנְקֵי שֶׁל צְדָקָה, וּכְשֶׁיַּגִיעַ לְבֵיתוֹ יִטְּלֵם. וְלא יִמְנֶה מָעוֹת הַקֻפָּה שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם, אֶלָא אֶחָד אֶחָד, מִפְּנֵי הַחֲשָׁד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִּם מֵה' וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל (בַּמִּדְבָּר לב, כב) (ל' רַמְבַּ"ם פ"ט מהל' מ"ע).

Charity collectors are not permitted to separate from one another in the market, except so far that they can see one another (Tur) — such as that this one turns aside to the gate and that one turns aside to the shop, and they collect. If the collector found money in the market, he shall not put it into his pocket but into the charity purse, and when he reaches his house he shall take it. If the collector held a claim of a maneh against his fellow, and he repaid him in the market, he shall not put it into his pocket but into the charity purse, and when he reaches his house he shall take it. And he shall not count the money of the kupah (the fund out of which the poor of the town are supported week by week) two by two, but one by one, on account of suspicion, as it is said: "and you shall be clear before the Lord and before Israel" (Numbers 32:22) (the language of the Rambam, chapter 9 of the Laws of Gifts to the Poor).

Se’if 2ב׳

גַבָּאֵי צְדָקָה שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם עֲנִיִּים לְחַלֵק, מְצָרְפִים הַמָּעוֹת דִּינָרִים לַאֲחֵרִים, אֲבָל לֹא לְעַצְמָם. וְכֵן אִם צְרִיכִים לִמְכֹּר מַה שֶּׁגָבוּ מֵהַתַּמְחוּי, יִמְכְּרוּ לַאֲחֵרִים אֲבָל לֹא לְעַצְמָם, מִפְּנֵי הַחֲשָׁד. וְאֵין מְחַשְּׁבִין בַּצְּדָקָה עִם גַבָּאֵי צְדָקָה, וְלֹא בְּהֶקְדֵּשׁ עִם הַגִזְבָּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְלֹא יַחְשְּׁבוּ אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר יִתְּנוּ אֶת הַכֶּסֶף עַל יָדָם לָתֵת לְעוֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה, כִּי בֶאֱמֻנָה הֵם עֹשִׂים (מְלָכִים ב, יב, טז) (רַמְבַּ"ם שָׁם). הַגָּה: וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נְקִיִּים מֵה' וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, טוֹב לָהֶם לִתֵּן חֶשְׁבּוֹן (טוּר). וְכָל זֶה בַּגַּבָּאִים הַכְּשֵׁרִים, אֲבָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כָּשֵׁר, אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְמַנָּה בְּאַלָּמוּת וְחָזְקָה, צָרִיךְ לִתֵּן חֶשְׁבּוֹן. וְהוּא הַדִּין בְּכָל מְמֻנִּים עַל הַצִּבּוּר. (מהרי"ו סִימָן קע"ג). וּכְשֶׁרוֹצִים הַצִּבּוּר יְכוֹלִין לְסַלֵּק הַגַּבַּאי וּלְמַנּוֹת אַחֵר, וְאֵין כָּאן מִשּׁוּם חֲשָׁד. וְהוּא הַדִּין שְׁאָר מְמֻנִּים (כָּל בּוֹ).

Charity collectors who have no poor to distribute to may change the coins into dinars for others, but not for themselves. And likewise, if they need to sell what they collected for the tamchui (the dish of food doled out to the poor day by day), they shall sell to others but not to themselves, on account of suspicion. And one does not make a reckoning over charity with the charity collectors, nor over hekdesh (property dedicated to sacred use) with the treasurers, as it is said: "And they did not reckon with the men into whose hand they gave the money to give to those who did the work, for they dealt in faithfulness" (II Kings 12:16) (the Rambam, there). Hagah [Rema]: And nevertheless, so that they shall be clear before the Lord and before Israel, it is good for them to give an account (Tur). And all this is with upright collectors; but one who is not upright, or who was appointed by violence and force, must give an account. And the same law applies to all who are appointed over the congregation (Maharyu, siman 173). And when the congregation wishes, they may remove the collector and appoint another, and there is no question of suspicion here. And the same law applies to other appointees (Kol Bo).

Se’if 3ג׳

הַצְּדָקָה, הֲרֵי הִיא בִּכְלַל הַנְּדָרִים. לְפִיכָךְ הָאוֹמֵר: הֲרֵי עָלַי סֶלַע לִצְדָקָה אוֹ הֲרֵי הַסֶלַע זוֹ צְדָקָה, חַיָּב לִתְּנָהּ לַעֲנִיִּים מִיָּד. וְאִם אִחֵר, עוֹבֵר בְּבַל תְּאַחֵר (דְּבָרִים כג, כב). שֶׁהֲרֵי בְּיָדוֹ לִתֵּן מִיָּד, וַעֲנִיִּים מְצוּיִים הֵם. וְאִם אֵין שָׁם עֲנִיִּים, מַפְרִישׁ וּמַנִּיחַ עַד שֶׁיִּמְצָא עֲנִיִּים. הַגָּה: וְכָל זֶה בִּצְדָקָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לְחַלְּקָהּ בְּעַצְמוֹ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁנּוֹדְרִין צְדָקָה בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת לִתְּנָהּ לְיַד גַּבַּאי, אוֹ שְׁאָר צְדָקָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ לִתֵּן לַגַּבַּאי, אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ אַף עַל גַּב דַּעֲנִיִּים מְצוּיִים. אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן תְּבָעוֹ הַגַּבַּאי וְאָז עוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ מִיָּד אִי קָיְימֵי עֲנִיִּים וְהַגַּבַּאי הָיָה מְחַלֵּק לָהֶם מִיָּד. וְאִם אֵין יָדוּעַ לַגַּבַּאי, צָרִיךְ הוּא לְהוֹדִיעַ לַגַּבַּאי מַה שֶּׁנָּדַר, כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל לְתָבְעוֹ. (מָרְדְּכַי פ"ק דב"ב ופ"ק דר"ה). וְלֹא מִקְרֵי עֲנִיִּים מְצוּיִים אֶלָּא עֲנִיִּים הַצְּרִיכִים לְחַלֵּק לָהֶם, אֲבָל אִם אֵין דֶּרֶךְ לְחַלֵּק לָהֶם מִיָּד, לֹא מִקְרֵי עֲנִיִּים מְצוּיִים. (גַּם זֶה בְּמָרְדְּכַי בב"ב). וְאִם אָמַר: אֶתֵּן סֶלַע לִצְדָקָה לִפְלוֹנִי, אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא אוֹתוֹ עָנִי, אַף עַל גַּב דִּשְׁאָר עֲנִיִּים מְצוּיִים (ג"ז שָׁם). וְדַוְקָא בְּמַפְרִישׁ צְדָקָה סְתָם, אֲבָל כָּל אָדָם יָכוֹל לְהַפְרִישׁ מָעוֹת לִצְדָקָה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מֻנָּחִים אֶצְלוֹ לִתְּנָם מְעַט עַל יָד עַל יָד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה לוֹ. (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרֹא"שׁ) וְכֵן אִם הִתְנָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּדַר בִּצְדָקָה אוֹ הִתְנַדֵּב אוֹתָם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַגַבָּאִים רַשָּׁאִים לְשַׁנּוֹתָהּ וּלְצָרְפָהּ בְּזָהָב, הֲרֵי אֵלוּ מֻתָּרִים. (רַמְבַּ"ם)

Charity is within the category of vows. Therefore one who says: a sela is upon me for charity, or: this sela is charity — is obliged to give it to the poor at once. And if he delayed, he transgresses "you shall not delay" (Deuteronomy 23:22), since it is in his power to give at once, and poor people are to be found. And if there are no poor there, he sets it apart and leaves it until he finds poor. Hagah [Rema]: And all this is with charity that it is in his power to distribute himself; but when they vow charity in the synagogue to give it into the hand of a collector, or other charity that he has to give to the collector, he does not transgress over it even though poor people are to be found, unless the collector claimed it from him — and then he transgresses over it at once, if poor people are present and the collector would have distributed to them at once. And if the collector does not know of it, he must inform the collector of what he vowed, so that he can claim it from him (Mordechai, first chapter of Bava Batra and first chapter of Rosh Hashanah). And poor people are not called "to be found" except poor people to whom one must distribute; but if it is not the way to distribute to them at once, they are not called poor people who are to be found (this too is in the Mordechai on Bava Batra). And if he said: I will give a sela to charity for so-and-so, he does not transgress until that poor man comes, even though other poor people are to be found (this too is there). And specifically one who sets apart charity without specifying; but any man may set apart money for charity, to be deposited with him, to give it out little by little as seems right to him (Tur in the name of the Rosh). And likewise, if he stipulated at the time that he vowed the charity or donated it that the collectors should be permitted to change it and to exchange it for gold, they are permitted (the Rambam).