גבאי צדקה אינם רשאים לפרוש זה מזה בשוק אלא כדי (שיראו זה את זה (טור) כגון) שיהא זה פורש לשער וזה פורש לחנות וגובים מצא הגבאי מעות בשוק לא יתנם לתוך כיסו אלא לתוך ארנקי של צדקה וכשיגיע לביתו יטלם היה הגבאי נושה בחברו מנה ופרעו בשוק לא יתנם לתוך כיסו אלא לתוך ארנקי של צדקה וכשיגיע לביתו יטלם ולא ימנה מעות הקופה שנים שנים אלא אחד אחד מפני החשד שנא' והייתם נקיים מה' ומישראל (ל' רמב"ם פ"ט מהל' מ"ע):

Charity collectors must not separate from one another in the market-place, but they must be within sight of one another; as, when one is in the gateway collecting, and the other in the store. If the collector finds money in the street, he shall not put it into his pocket, but into the charity bag—until he reaches home, when he may take it. If the collector collects a personal debt from a friend in the street, he shall not put the money into his pocket, but into the charity bag and take it when he reaches home. He shall not count the coins of the Kuphah two at a time, but one by one, to avoid suspicion; as it is written "And ye shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel."¹

footnotes: ¹ Numbers 32:22.

If the Gabbaïm have no poor among whom to distribute the money, they may exchange it for Denarii,² but not from their own pockets. So, too, if anything is left from the Tamhuy, they should sell it—to others, not to themselves, in order to avoid suspicion. No accounts should be required of Gabbaïm of charity, nor of treasurers of sacred funds, for it is written, "Moreover, they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully."³ RMI.—Still, in order to be "guiltless before the Lord and before Israel," it is better for them to submit accounts. And besides, the text refers to men whose honesty and capacity were undisputed; but wherever there is the slightest suspicion or where the official obtained his position through force, an account must be submitted. And so with all public financial institutions. The community at the expiration of the term has the right to elect another official and cannot on that account be accused of suspecting the former official.

footnotes: ² Coins of a higher denomination. ³ II Kings, 12:15.

Charity comes within the general class of vows. Therefore, if one says, "I vow a Sela⁴ to charity," or, "I vow this Sela to charity," he must give it to the poor immediately; and, if he delays, he is guilty of transgressing the precept, "Thou shalt not slack to pay it,"¹ since he has the money and poor people are a-plenty. But if no poor are available, he should separate the money and lay it aside until he meet one. RMI.—He transgresses a law in delaying payment, only when he vows to give charity which he himself must distribute. But if he vows to contribute to the general charity fund in the synagogue and the like, which must go through the hands of the Gabbai, he does not transgress the precept, although poor are a-plenty, until the Gabbai asks for it; and then, if he delays, he is a transgressor. And if the Gabbai does not know of the vow, he must inform him how much he vowed, so that he might come to collect. That he must not delay in paying his vows to charity refers to vows as ordinarily made; but, of course, a man is permitted to separate a sum of money which he himself is to distribute a little at a time as he may see fit. And so also, if he stipulates a condition in making the vow, that the Gabbaïm should be permitted to exchange the money for gold, then they are permitted to do so.

footnotes: ⁴ A coin worth two common Shekels. ¹ Deut. 23:21.

One should avoid vows. If people are being taxed for charity and one feels obliged to fix an amount for himself, let him say, "Without vowing, I promise," etc.

If the charity treasury lacks funds, let the Gabbai make a loan to the fund out of his private purse; and when conditions improve, he may draw that amount without permission from the contributors.

If the Gabbai, while still in office, says, "I have loaned so much and so much to the fund," he is believed without taking an oath; but not after he is discharged.

A Gabbai should not take to heart the insults which the poor may heap upon him: his reward will be the greater for it.

A poor man who has wealthy relatives does not have to be supported by the Gabbaïm, even though the relatives are contributors to the fund.

One should not center all his charities in one poor man.

He who distributes the charities should guard himself against being partial to his relatives. RMI.—That is to say, a public Gabbai. But a private individual may give charity or his tithes to whichever relative he chooses,—in fact, his relatives come first, as already explained in Art. 251.

If one invests a sum of money the income of which is to be devoted to religious education and he appoints his wife to give it to whomsoever she wishes, she has no right to deposit the money with another, even though that other be as honorable a man as Rabbi Hananiah ben Tradion. But if the donor appoints a prominent scholar over the funds, he has the right to deposit them with his wife.