Reply To: Are we tarnishing our Mitzvos with falsehood?

AAQ:

You are correct, and you are also wrong. The connection of tefiloh and tzedokoh is found in two places. רבי אליעזר יהיב פרוטה לעני והדר מצלי. Rabi Eliezer would give a prutah to a poor person and would then daven. This tzedokoh prior to davening seems to refer to each tefiloh, Shacharis, Mincha, and Maariv. This is divrei Chazal. There is also a minhag, referenced by the Ari Zal, to give tzedokoh during the recitation of ויברך דוד.

As far as collecting, there is no reference about this being required. Rather, it is a convenience for the collector to find people together to seek donations, not different from the collecting that is done by weddings or other gatherings. It has been happening for eons.

However, poskim address the matter of disturbing tefiloh, and prohibit collecting during parts of davening when the hefsek is either forbidden or disgraceful. Collecting during Shema is terrible. One may not interrupt Shema at all. Mishna Berurah is adamant about not collecting during Kriyas Hatorah, saying it is a bizayon for the Torah. Sadly, few collectors are careful to avoid disrespecting the tefiloh or the mispalel. I sympathize with their desperation. Even those collecting for very legitimate causes have been disruptive.

This discussion is timely. We embark soon on the holy day of Purim when collecting reaches an annual frenzy. Yeshivos typically mobilize their talmidim to raise money, insisting that this helps balance their budgets. In another thread, we might debate this. But it is not the rule that children are properly taught to respect either tefiloh or the mispalel. They often bang their pushkas during Megillah reading. I was shocked to see bochurim doing this.

Tzedokoh is a precious mitzvah. Tainting it with dishonesty and disturbing tefiloh is unacceptable.