May a chazzan or shofar blower receive money for his mitzvos?

            The difference between a chazzan and a babysitter is that the chazzan is performing a mitzvah. The Beis Yosef brings a machlokes Rishonim as to whether one may receive s’char Shabbos [1] for performing a mitzvah. The reason for approval is because receiving s’char Shabbos is only an issur d’rabanan and when involving a mitzvah Chazal did not prohibit it. The reason for non-approval is because, after all, one is receiving s’char Shabbos.

            What is the halacha?

            The Mechaber writes [2] that one may not receive s’char Shabbos for performing a mitzvah and then adds that there is an opinion who permits it. The rule when learning the Mechaber is that ñúí åéù àåîøéí äìëä ëñúí, which means that when he writes the first opinion without mentioning who says it and then writes an opinion saying that “there are those…” the halacha is in accordance with the first opinion, which would mean it is forbidden.

The Rama adds that when the chazzan is hired for the entire year there is no problem because he is paid globally for chazzanus performed during the week as well. If he only officiates on Shabbos and Yom Tov it will not help that he is hired for the entire year.

The Mishna Berura however writes [3] that the custom was to hire the chazzan for the Shabboses of the year.

As mentioned, since there is a viable solution to pay him for work done during the week, it is preferable to do so.

The same would apply to a shofar blower. Although he only blows on Rosh Hashana, nevertheless it is advisable to have him blow occasionally during Ellul and pay him globally.

It is noteworthy that even according to the lenient opinion one does not merit a sign of b’racha from money received from Shabbos work (unless paid globally). [4]

            Is a doctor permitted to receive money for making a house call?

            The Mishna Berura writes [5] that a midwife may surely take s’char Shabbos for answering a call on Shabbos because it is payment for the sake of saving a life. [6] A doctor and a nurse are in the same category and they may also take s’char Shabbos for making a house call.

            Does a doctor see a siman b’racha in pay for work done on Shabbos?

            It would seem from the Mishna Berura [7] that payment received for healing a Jew is not part of the machlokes of s’char Shabbos and therefore one would see a b’racha in the payment. However, Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank says that receiving payment for healing and for performing a mitzvah are on par with each other and even if one is permitted to receive s’char Shabbos for healing, one will not see a siman b’racha. [8]

According to Rav Chaim Brisker (mentioned in the previous sheet) it is permitted, but as mentioned it is a machlokes haposkim.

            Am I permitted to donate money on Shabbos to the shul etc?

            First we must understand the nature of the prohibitions that are involved with donating money to shul on Shabbos and then see whether they can be overcome.

The first problem would seem to be mentioning money on Shabbos.

The Mechaber says [9] that it is permitted to discuss heavenly matters on Shabbos, which includes donating money to charity. Not only may one discuss on Shabbos whether certain poor people are in need of money and how much, one may even state the amount one intends to give them. All this is under the umbrella of çôöé ùîéí – heavenly matters, which one may deal with on Shabbos.

            But is there not a problem of donating an item to a shul etc?

            The Mechaber writes [10] that one may not dedicate an item to the Beis Hamikdash on Shabbos, [11] and the M”B explains that the issur involved is that it is similar to buying and selling. This is because dedicating (î÷ãéù) an item to the Beis Hamikdash automatically activates the transaction and the dedicated item becomes the property of the Beis Hamikdash.

            The same would apply to donating an item to a shul then, would it not?

            Yes and no.  The Magen Avraham [12] says that (according to the Beis Yosef) it is prohibited to donate a specific item to a shul on Shabbos because it is similar to dedicating an item to the Beis Hamikdash.

He continues however that the Kol Bo says that one may donate an item to shul, and the Magan Avraham explains the difference between donating to the Beis Hamikdash and to shul saying that an item belonging to the Beis Hamikdash belongs only to the Beis Hamikdash and therefore dedicating an item to hekdesh (the property of the Beis Hamikdash) involves a complete transaction, whereas an item belonging to a shul belongs to the public as well and therefore when dedicating an item to a shul one has not accomplished a complete transaction being that the donor still owns a share in the item (together with the rest of Am Yisroel).

            Which opinion is the halacha?

            The Shulchan Aruch HaRav [13] writes that people do dedicate items to shul, but he concludes that one should dedicate it before Shabbos and bring it (where there is an eiruv) to shul on Shabbos or declare on Shabbos that it has been donated to the shul. The Mishna Berura reiterates this p’sak. [14]

            This would not be a problem with money would it?

            This problem does not exist with money or with non-specific items, i.e one may say on Shabbos that he will dedicate a paroches to the shul because one is not dedicating a specific ready-made article. The same applies with money. One may say that one intends donating $100 to the shul because no transaction takes place and mentioning the money is not a problem, as stated, because it is for a tzedakah. [15]