Bais HaVaad on the Parsha

Parshas Tetzaveh

Adapted from a shiur
by Dayan Yehoshua Grunwald

Must women give matanos la’evyonim? According to the Rama,
they must, but the Magen Avraham says he has not seen women practicing this, though
a husband can give on his wife’s behalf. The Magen Avraham concludes that women
should be strict.

Two explanations are given for the Magen Avraham’sstatement
that a husband can fulfill matanos la’evyonim for his wife. The Aruch
Hashulchan explains it based on ishto k’gufo: Husbandand wife
are like one person, so his giving for himself counts for her as well. The more
accepted approach is that he may give for her but it must be an additional
amount to what he gives for himself (Rav Karelitz, based on Rambam, Peirush
Hamishnayos, Nega’im 9:12).

There are also two explanations for the Magen Avraham’sruling
that women should be strict.Some say this means she must either acquire
the money herself and give it or her husband can give the gabbai money to
acquire on her behalf (Kaf Hachaim, Shevilei Dovid, andRav Elyashiv).
Others say that the husband can give additional money and have in mind he is fulfilling
her obligation, possibly based on ishto k’gufo (R’ Shlomo Zalman
Auerbach).   

According to the first approach for the Magen Avraham’s chumra, a father can do the same for a daughter to fulfill herobligation. According to the second, he cannot, because ishto k’gufo applies only to one’s wife.

According to the second approach, perhaps the daughter can also
fulfill the mitzvah through a kinyan eved kena’ani, where one person
“sponsors” another, if giving her the money first or having the gabbai acquire
it on her behalf is difficult. However, this appears to be subject to a dispute
concerning pidyon habein: The Chemdas Shlomo, cited in Pis’chei
Teshuva, does not allow the mitzvah to be fulfilled via sponsorship, because
it is a chovas haguf, an obligation incumbent upon the person himself. The
Chazon Ish, however, permits it. Therefore, one who wishes to
fulfill the mitzvah according to all opinions should either have his daughter use
her own money, give her the money first, or have the gabbai acquire the money
on her behalf.