Answer: The Mishna (Bava Metzia 34b) writes
that one mustn’t profit from another person’s animal that they are looking
after. R’ Yisroel Yaakov Fisher (Even Yisroel 8:64)
compares this to one’s maaser money, writing that one cannot use one’s maaser
money for raffle tickets that one could potentially profit from. If one were to
use one’s maaser money, any prize won would belong to the tzedaka
organization.
R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 4:76:2), however, writes that
it depends whether there are a limited number of tickets for sale. If there are
say only 100 tickets for sale, then each ticket is technically worth one
percentage of the prize value. One wouldn’t be able to use one’s maaser
money for such tickets as one is essentially buying a ticket for oneself with
that money. If the tickets aren’t limited, however, then the tickets do not
have a specific value, per se. One would be able to use maaser money to
buy such tickets. Even if one used maaser money for such a ticket and
won, they would be able to keep the prize as it is considered a gift from the
organization. R’ Moshe advises that the winner give the maaser of their
winnings back to that institution.
R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 3:289) adds that
when one runs a charitable organisation, there are necessary expenses. Just as
it is acceptable to pay one who fundraises, so too, it is considered acceptable
for the charity to give away prizes by way of a lottery in order to raise
funds. If the charity couldn’t do that, they would lose out. Regardless as to
whether there were a limited number of tickets or not, one could use one’s maaser
money to buy the tickets (See Shevet Halevi 9:200).
In conclusion, one may use one’s maaser money to buy
raffle tickets for tzedaka as it means that people will give money to
this charity that may not have done so otherwise. What one wins belongs to
them.
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