KollelBoker: Can one use maaser money to purchase raffle tickets?

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Vol. 1 Iss. 32

פרשת חקת

This weeks email is sponsored anonymously in honor of Rabbi Chananya Berman.

We would like to wish mazal tov to Rabbi Goldman's Gemara shiur which will be making a siyum on maseches Kesubos on Sunday July 17th at 5 p.m.. The siyum will take place at Rabbi Schmidman's shul. We will be joined by Rabbi Dovid Goldman.

Gemara Shiur will be starting maseches Brachos on Tuesday, July 5th. Additionally the halacha shiur at night will be learning halachos that are connected to the daf learned that week.

Dvar Torah

By: Rabbi Goldman

IS THE GLASS REALLY "HALF EMPTY" OR "HALF FULL"?

We know that everything that Hashem does is for our benefit, and that Hashem wants to give us great things in both this world and the next world. However, its not always so easy to appreciate that. Many of the benefits that we do have, we are already are used to, and therefore, its difficult to appreciate them. That which we don't have, often will be highlighted in our minds. It is very difficult to change this tendency.

Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that even though the glass is really completely full (because) everything is for our benefit; however, it is difficult to feel that way. It is sometimes even difficult to feel that its even half full. Therefore, a reasonable goal would be to accept the fact that it seems to be "partially empty" however; we can slowly develop more of a recognition that its not so empty and we can slowly recognize how full that it really is!

Dvar Halacha

By: R' Chananya Berman

Question: Can one use maaser money to purchase raffle tickets?

Discussion: Rav Moshe zt"l writes that there are two types of raffles; one in which there is an unlimited amount of tickets sold over a long period of time, and one where there is a limited amount of tickets being sold over a relatively short time period. In a situation where an unlimited amount of tickets are being sold, no ticket has any monetary value. Therefore, you can use maaser to purchase a ticket. When there is a limited amount of tickets being sold, each ticket has a value - the amount someone would pay for that chance to win the prize. Therefore, maaser money can not be used (O.C 4 Ch. 76:2).

Rav Moshe also says that even in a situation where it is permitted to use maaser for the ticket, if you win it's proper to give the cost of that ticket to tzeddakah.

If the value of the ticket is much greater then the chance to win the prize is worth, one may deduct the difference and use maaser for the remaining amount. (For example if the ticket is $50 but the value is $5 one may use $45 from maaser.)

Some poskim say that one may not use maaser money to buy a raffle ticket under any circumstances.

Rav Moshe also writes that if a person wins the raffle he should give the maaser of his winnings to that institution.

Summary:

There is a dispute as to whether one may use maaser money to purchase raffle tickets. Rav Moshe zt"l held that under certain conditions one may use maaser money to purchase a raffle ticket. Rav Moshe also held that one should give the maaser from the winnings back to that institution.

For all practical questions please ask your Rav.