Say a person never gave charity, due to ignorance or whatever other reason. He has now become a Baal Teshuvah and started observing the Torah.
What is the halacha with charity? Does he have to give 10% of all his assets, 10% of everything he has ever made or just start from scratch and begin giving maaser with each new pay check?
Answer
The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De'ah 249 סימן רמט - כמה חייב ליתן וכיצד יתננה says that the first year one decides to start keeping Ma'aser Kesafim, on separates 1/5 or 1/10 of one's capital.
After that, every year one separates 1/5 or 1/10 of the profit on one's income.
Since he starts with יִתֵּן עַד חֹמֶשׁ נְכָסָיו it would seem that he considers all one's assets as capital.
The entire Siman is:
א שִׁעוּר נְתִינָתָהּ, אִם יָדוֹ מַשֶּׂגֶת, יִתֵּן כְּפִי צֹרֶךְ הָעֲנִיִּים. וְאִם אֵין יָדוֹ מַשֶּׂגֶת כָּל כָּךְ, יִתֵּן עַד חֹמֶשׁ נְכָסָיו, מִצְוָה מִן הַמֻּבְחָר; וְאֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה, מִדָּה בֵּינוֹנִית; פָּחוֹת מִכָּאן, עַיִן רָעָה. וְחֹמֶשׁ זֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ, שָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה מֵהַקֶּרֶן, מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ חֹמֶשׁ שֶׁהִרְוִיחַ בְּכָל שָׁנָה.
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