Not in the Budget 

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

There was a person in Bnei Brak who was very poor. His family ate for their Shabbos meal a little Matzah and some tuna fish. This person had a friend who was rich. He decided to order and pay to a grocery to send a beautiful complete Shabbos. One day the rich person lost all his money. The poor person said that he should not pay for his Shabbos anymore. The rich person said he wants to continue as Shabbos expenses is not in the budget. The poor person went to Reb Aron Leib Shteinman Zt”l and he said that he is right and expenses for someone else’s Shabbos is included in the budget. The former rich person went to Reb Chaim Kanievsky Zt”l and he said that the ex-rich person is right and the expenses are not in the budget.

To explain this, we need to quote Gemara in Beitza 15b that says a person’s budget is established between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The only exception that is not in the budget is expenses for tuition and expenses for Shabbos and Yom Tov the more one spends the more he gets. Hashem says, “Borrow on my behalf and I will pay your debts!”

From the above Gemara is mashma that it is only for those mitzvos listed that are not in the budget. Tosfos is mashma that these mitzvos are the one’s listed in the pesukim. The Ritva argues and says that not just those mitzvos but any mitzvah. The reason the Gemara lists those three mitzvos is that they are common expenses.

Halacha Lemaaseh the Tur 419 says that in the Tosefta we see that a person’s budget is set except for expenditures for tuition for one’s sons to learn Torah and Shabbos, Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh expenses. We see the Tur learned like Tosfos and just added Rosh Chodesh expenses. The Bais Yosef explains the Tur; that the reason the Gemara does not mention expenses of Rosh Chodesh is because it is already included in the expenses of Yom Tov. The Taz agrees with the Bais Yosef.

We see LeHalacha we pasken that what the Gemara said borrow and Hashem says he will pay back is only applicable to tuition and expenses for Shabbos. In the event a person spends money on Shabbos, but he also invites guests will this also fall under the category of expenses not in the budget?

Reb Elyashiv held that it is not considered expenses for Shabbos but his son-in-law Rav Chaim Kanievsky says it is considered expenses not in the budget. When Rav Chaim was asked how come Rav Shteinman and his father-in -law argue with him? He answered with a beautiful chap. He said that if the reason a person invites guests or buys Shabbos for others is because his Shabbos would be incomplete if he has a great Shabbos but knows that his friend is sitting with a limited meal. In this case part of his oneg Shabbos is having guests and supplying other people with Shabbos then it would be considered not in the budget. Rav Shteinman was asked by the poor person that is why he got the answer that the ex-rich person should not borrow on his behalf. Rav Chaim was asked by the rich person Rav Chaim saw that it really bothered him that his friend had such a limited Shabbos therefore Rav Chaim held that Rav Elyashiv and Rav Shteinman would agree that it would not fall in the budget and the poor person should continue getting food from the rich person. The story ends that the ex-rich person continued giving food and his fortunes changed again and he became rich again!

May we all be zocheh to have all the zchuyos of keeping Shabbos properly.

{Matzav.com}