What can be paid from maaser money? ממה משלמים מעשר

The framework

Maaser money is for tzedaka — for those in need and for sustaining Torah and Jewish life. The question is always: is this payment tzedaka, or is it an obligation I already carry? Obligations you are personally required to pay generally cannot come from maaser; genuine tzedaka generally can.

Helping parents and family

Supporting parents in need, and helping relatives who are struggling, is tzedaka of the highest priority — "aniyei ircha," the needy closest to you come first. According to many opinions this may be paid from maaser money, and family in need takes precedence over distant causes.

Tuition

Jewish school tuition is a genuine machlokes: the obligation to educate your children is yours, so many opinions hold basic tuition cannot come from maaser — while some permit part of it in times of hardship, and payments beyond your obligation (scholarship funds, helping another family's tuition) are widely accepted as maaser. This one truly depends on your situation: ask your rav, get a percentage, and the ledger remembers it.

Shul membership and mitzvah costs

Your own mitzvah obligations — your lulav, your matzah — are yours to pay, not maaser's. Shul dues are mixed: the part that is genuinely a donation may be maaser according to many; the part that buys you membership benefits is a payment. Ask once, apply it consistently.

Common questions

Can I pay my synagogue membership from maaser?

The donation portion may qualify according to many opinions; the part that purchases membership benefits generally does not. Ask your rav how to split it.

Does helping a struggling relative count?

Yes — according to many opinions, tzedaka to family in need is not only valid maaser use, it comes first.

This guide shares sources, not rulings. For your own situation, ask your rav.

Sources: Rambam — Gifts to the Poor 7 · Maaser calculator · The Rebbe's letters on tzedaka

Keep learning: Maaser and business expenses · Maaser while in debt · What is maaser money?

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