BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5772 ~ PARSHAS TERUMAH ~Coerced Charity

In this week's Parsha the Torah tells how Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to instruct the Jewish People concerning bringing donations for the construction of the Mishkan. Although today we no longer have a Mishkan, nor a Bais Hamikdah, the concept of serving Hashem with one's money is very much prevalent, primarily with regard to Tzedakah, the Mitzvah of giving charity. The Torah, when commanding to donate for the Mishkan, states "From every man whose heart motivates him you shall take his donation." The Targum Yonoson Ben Uziel explains this to mean that the Torah specified not to force people to give donations, unlike some other mitzvos which the Beis Din is enjoined to ensure are carried out by all Nonetheless, the mitzvah of giving tzedaka is indeed enforced by Beis Din in some situations and for certain causes. Nowadays, Beis Din does not have the authority to actually force anyone to do anything, but there are instances in which Beis Din can apply social pressure to ensure compliance of the mitzvah of giving charity. OU AND BAIS HAVAAD Choshen Mishpat - Business Ethics: Tzedaka and Maaser Part I OU AND BAIS HAVAAD Choshen Mishpat - Business Ethics: Tzedaka and Maaser Part II