Donation to a Con Artist

Question

Suppose a person claims they need money for a particular reason and you donate them money. Then you find out later they were deceptively lying and didn’t need the money. Have you still fulfilled the mitzvah of giving tzedaka?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    The Rabbis teach that there are two dimensions to the Mitzvah of giving Tzedakah. The first is that the person put their hand in their pocket and took out the money to give. The second part of the Mitzvah is that the money reaches someone who needs it. The first part of the Mitzvah can never be taken away from the person. They gave the money and that part of the Mitzvah is theirs. However, if Hashem does not want the person to have the complete Mitzvah, He will send a con artist who will take the giver’s money under false pretenses.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team