*You may use Maaser funds for the above contributions
7. Maos Chitim:[1]
It is a widespread custom amongst all Jewish communities, for each community to collect charity from its residents and set up a Pesach fund. This fund is cordially known as Maos Chitim, as in previous times it was established for the sake of helping the poor to purchase wheat for the Matzos. Practically, today, the custom is to distribute from this fund to the poor people of one’s community for all their Yom Tov needs.
[1] See Admur 429:5-6; Rama 429:1; Piskeiy Teshuvos 429:2; Nitei Gavriel Pesach 1
A. Who is obligated in this tax?
A permanent resident:[1] Any inhabitant which has moved to the city on a permanent basis, is immediately considered a citizen of that city and is obligated and enforced in giving the wheat tax.
A temporary resident:[2] If the inhabitant only moved there on temporary basis, then if he has lived in the city for 12 months, he is considered a citizen of that city, and is thus obligated in the tax. Today however, due to the tribulations of the exile, the custom is that any temporary inhabitant who lives in the city for 30 days is considered a citizen of that city and is obligated and enforced in giving the tax.[3]
A Torah Scholar:[4] Even the Torah Scholars which are normally exempt from paying taxes are obligated in this tax, being that it is for the purpose of charity.
B. Which paupers may receive from this fund?
A permanent resident:[5] Any pauper which has moved to the city on a permanent basis, is immediately considered a citizen of that city, and is eligible to receive charity from the wheat fund.
A temporary resident:[6] If the pauper only moved there on a temporary basis, then if he has lived in the city for 12 months, he is considered a citizen of that city and is thus eligible to receive charity from the wheat fund. Today however, due to the tribulations of the exile, the custom is that any pauper which is a temporary inhabitant, who lives in the city for 30 days, is considered a citizen of that city and is eligible to receive charity from the wheat fund.
A non-resident: Any pauper which has only come to the city on a temporary basis and has not lived there for thirty days, is not considered a city resident and is thus not eligible to receive from the Chitim fund. Nevertheless the city fund is obligated to give him Matzah for Pesach, just like they are obligated to give him two meals a day for every weekday that he is in the city, and three meals for Shabbos[7], as is explained in Hilchos Tzedakah chapter 256/1.
Q&A
Why is the custom of Maos Chitim brought here and not under Hilchos Tzedakah?
Perhaps this hints that giving charity is an integral part of Pesach, as not just a law relevant to Tzedakah.[8]
[1] 429/6
[2] 429/5
[3] See Rama Yorah Deah 256/5 “There are those that say that today all the charity obligations begin from after thirty days”
[4] 429/5
[5] 429/6
[6] 429/5
[7] Evidently this refers to the Tamchuy fund. See Yorah Deah 256/1
[8] See Nitei Gavriel Pesach 1
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