...Continued from previous week
1) It is acceptable to "buy" Aliyos to the Torah or other Kibudim (honors during the davening, such as opening the Aron Kodesh, Hagbah etc.) with Ma'aser money, if the money goes to help poor people. (See Shu"t Bais Dino Shel Shlomo Yoreh Deah Siman 1. See also Ahavas Chesed Vol. 2 Perek 19:2 and Shu"t Chasam Sofer Yoreh Deah Siman 249)
If only part of the money goes to poor people, and the rest goes to the Shul or another acceptable cause, then Ma'aser money may be used only if there is nobody else to "buy" the Aliyos, and even then it is best to only give the part that goes to the poor people from Ma'aser.
2) One must have in mind before bidding on these honors that if he wins he plans to pay using Ma'aser money, otherwise it is like any other debt, and he cannot pay with Ma'aser money. (Shu"t Bais Dino Shel Shlomo ibid.)
If the entire money goes to pay the Shul's expenses (utilities, salaries of Chazan, caretaker etc.) it should not be paid for with Ma'aser money. (ibid.)
3) When using Ma'aser money to pay for Aliyos or other Kibbudim (when all the conditions we enumerated above have been met) according to many Poskim, only the amount that you added above the previous bid may come from Ma'aser.
For example, if the bidding was holding at $50, and you upped it to $75, you may pay $25 of that from Ma'aser while the other $50 must be paid from your own money.
The reason for this is because had you not bid, the Tzedaka would have received $50 anyway from the person that originally bid, and you only added an additional $25. Only the gain that you aided the Tzedaka in getting may come from Ma'aser. (Elya Rabba Orach Chaim Siman 156 and Rav Akiva Eiger on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Siman 249. This is also how Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky Zatzal in Emes L'yaakov Yoreh Deah Siman 249 and many other Gedolei HaPoskim Pasken L'maaseh)
4) However, if the original bidder was planning to use Ma'aser money too to pay if he won, perhaps the above Halacha would be different as in that case, the original $50 would have been from Ma'aser money anyway, albeit from a different person.
A Rav should be consulted for Halacha L'maaseh.
5) If one pledged money toward the building of a Shul or a Mikvah, if he/she had in mind at the time of the pledge that it would be paid off with Ma'aser money, it may be paid off with Ma'aser according to all opinions.
If he/she did not have this in mind at the time of the pledge, there is a dispute among the Poskim if Ma'aser money can still be used.
The prevalent Minhag is to be lenient in this matter and allow the use of Ma'aser money. (Ruling of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zatzal)
6) Some Poskim maintain that it is best not to use Ma'aser money for the building of Shuls and Mikvaos, unless the construction of the building will be delayed due to lack of funds, then according to everyone you may use Ma'aser to expedite the building process. (See Shu"t Teshuvos V'hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 578 where he differentiates between a regular shul building and a huge, magnificent one. See also Shu"t Kaneh Bosem Vol. 3 Siman 84 for more about this)
7) One may not use Ma'aser money to pay a Sofer (scribe) to write a Sefer Torah for himself. (Netziv in Shu"t Meishiv Davar Vol. 2 Siman 75. See also Shu"t Shevet Haleivi Vol. 3 Siman 147)
However, regarding the use of Ma'aser money to help a Shul pay for a Sefer Torah that will be used publicly, the Poskim are lenient and allow it. (Shu"t Shevet Haleivi ibid.)
8) One may hire a tutor to teach Torah to children of poor people and pay him from Ma'aser money. In fact doing so is a great Mitzva. (Chofetz Chaim in Ahavas Chesed Vol. 2 Perek 19:2)
...To be continued next week B’Ezras Hashem
