When is a quarter worth fifty cents?

I don’t get it.

So it’s like you get 25 cents credit in the mitzvah department, but you still have 25 cents to spend?

Depending on currency conversation A quarter of a US Dollar could be worth 50 Canadian Cents

Mitzvahs are priceless.

I didn’t mean to twist your words. I apologize. I just wanted to keep this thread at the top of the page because it’s so clever.

When someone gives matching funds…either for charity or your 401k

Hey, Coffee Addict: Bump! This actually happened to me this very evening!

Someone came collecting tonight and we had a large bill and a few coins set aside. (I feel bad asking someone for change when giving tzedaka – like I come out with a 10 dollar bill and get their hopes up, but then I ask for 8 or 9 dollars back and they’re disappointed.) If I would have had a one dollar bill then I would have given him that. Next best thing was to offer him a quarter. I sent Little Prince Plony to the door to be the shaliach shel mitzvah, but the man who was collecting just walked away without it.

Sighhh… I feel terrible. Do you guys think I should have asked him for change from the bill?

Agree with LuL.

That being said, many don’t understand the Gemorah

??? ????? ??? ???? (?????? ??) ????? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????

If they did, they would understand that the quarter after 4 times becomes a dollar, and then ten, etc.

Unfortunately, what many Aniyim need is financial literacy/budgeting skills, not financial support. Boruch Hashem there are organizations that are realizing this and conditioning help on attending sessions to teach self-support.

P.S. Lack of financial literacy affects everyone, from people who have nothing coming in to others who have millions coming in.

Mrs. Plony – my reaction would have been, “I guess he doesn’t need the money as badly as I do. I would have been happy to get a quarter.”

and

I suppose the man last night figured that if all we could give was 25 cents, then we needed it more than him.

Nah. He was making the point that giving a quarter is not really helpful when someone needs $40,000 for medical or chasunah expenses.

Rudely, but that’s his point.

He’s still wrong for turning it down and not taking it and saying “thank you”, but that’s where the frustration comes from, I imagine.

He’s still wrong for turning it down and not taking it and saying “thank you”, but that’s where the frustration comes from, I imagine.

Nebuch. And yes, it would not be a bad idea for someone who is really poor to collect bottles. I have heard of families who have saved some significant money in this manner, enough to pay for what other people are “collecting” (such as summer camp).

DY – either way, the point is that apparently I needed the quarter more than him because I was happy to get a quarter back – or would have been if it had happened to me.

I actually had a simliar maaseh at the Kosel years ago with agurot (I don’t remember how much, and it would have been worth much more back then anyhow). In that case, she actually threw it back at me which was pretty upsetting. So I told myself what I told Mrs. Plony.

I actually didn’t see the collector’s reaction. I sent LPP to give him the money because most of the time men who are collecting in my neighborhood won’t take money directly from a woman’s hand. By the same token, I’m afraid that if I gave him a bracha per lightbrite’s suggestion he might get offended that I would converse with him. But your idea of asking if he would take a quarter – that way he doesn’t waste time waiting by my door if 25 cents isn’t worth his while.

I used to say to every collector, no matter how much I gave, “I wish I could give more, and I wish you didn’t have to go collecting.” But someone convinced me to stop.

AMEN! TEN L’MAR! Thank you so much, lb. I’m going into Shabbos in a great mood now!

Oh. Thanks, Randomex. I never saw it in print, just heard it said, so I didn’t know.

Anyway, closure time: Tonight two separate men came collecting. Most of the tzedaka money has been distributed and we’re back to coins. In each case I apologetically said, “I don’t have much; can I give you a quarter?” One collector said “Sure” and I sent Little Prince Plony to hand it to him. The second one said “No, it’s okay” and I told him “Zei Gebentsched.”

Thank you for reading.