Q. What is Rav Miller’s opinion in regards to the amount one should give for Matonos Laevyonim?
Is it better to be machmir and give a bigger shiur to the few or just give a peruta and give to many?
How much is a peruta these days?
A. Rema (O.H. 694: 1) rules that we donate besides Matonos Laevyonim, also Machatzis Hashekel, but the amounts differ. Mishna Berura (694: 2) asserts to follow the opinion of the Ritvo (Megila 7b) that one fulfils the matonos laevyonim obligation even with two prutos (one prutah per indigent) or its equivalent in food. ("shaveh Prutah")
The value of a perutah according to the opinion of the Chazon Ish is 1/40 or .025 of a gram of silver, and according to the Masoro it is .0182 of a gram of silver (Masores Hashekel p.119)
At today’s (Adar 5776) price of silver (about $0.50 U.S.D. per gram) it would result in $0.0125 or $0.0091, a bit more or less than a penny.
Although one fulfills one's obligation with a prutah, nonetheless, Poskim write that it's proper to give each poor person a significant and meaningful gift (Maharsho – Megila ibid.) Others maintain that it should be enough to purchase three egg volumes of bread (Sha’arey Teshuvo 694, see also other opinions on Nitey Gavriel – Purim 33:2)
Yeme Mishteh VeSimcha (p. 244 – published in 5766) quotes Rav Elyashiv zt’l as saying that even though one fulfills one's obligation with a prutah, nonetheless, it's proper to give each poor person about 5 shekalim which is an amount which would make the poor person happy. Halichot Shlomo (chap 19, note 62) quotes Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l as having said that in order to fulfill all opinions one should give an amount which is significant by the giver and by the taker's standards.
In question #507 in this forum we wrote that Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a advises to give at least a dollar (Canadian) for matonos loevyonim, (a Zichron Binyomin paper equivalent dollar is also good). The reason is that you can still acquire a roll of bread with something in it, to be used for a minimum seudah. The Rov maintains that on this year, although the Canadian dollar has decreased in value, the above still stands. The
Rov also recommends that one with limited resources should give two
dollars to two needy persons, then divide the rest of the money
available and donate to as many recipients as possible, even if it
less than a dollar, since every act of giving constitutes a new
separate mitzva.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a.
Important Numbers
