Siman 254

It is forbidden for an Israelite to take tzedakah from the idolaters in public, because of the desecration of the Name. And in the Gemara (Bava Batra 10a) they derived this from the verse "When its boughs are withered, they shall be broken," see there. And according to this, even in private it is forbidden. Nevertheless, if he cannot live on the tzedakah of Israelites – he may take from them in private. And if he cannot in private – he may take in public. And the reason for the matter appears to me to be that in truth this is not within the category of desecration of the Name at all, but rather that it is not honorable that they should require the tzedakah of others. And also the derivation of "When its boughs are withered" in the Gemara – is a mere asmachta. Therefore, in a case of absolute necessity and where there is no alternative – it is permitted. (And with this the difficulties of the Derishah and the Taz, subsection 1, are answered, see there.) And there is one who wishes to distinguish between an individual and the public, that for an individual it is permitted (Derishah). And there is no logic at all to distinguish in this (Taz).

An important person from among them who sent tzedakah to Israel to distribute to the poor—one does not return it to them, even though there is no great need in the matter to receive from them, because of the ways of peace. Rather, one takes it from him. And since our poor are not compelled to this—he should distribute them to their poor in secret. And some say that if he sent it without specification they should do so, but if he sent it explicitly for the poor of Israel—it is forbidden to deviate from the intent of the giver, and they distribute it to the poor of Israel. (We have written according to the explanation of the Shach, subsection 3. And the difficulties of the Taz, subsection 3, are answered; see there. Examine it and you will find it easy.)

And one should not wonder at what they have become accustomed to accept without any hesitation, for certainly since the pressure is great – it is permitted, as I have written. Furthermore, the Rambam wrote in the tenth chapter of Laws of Kings, law 10, and this is his wording: A Noachide who wishes to perform a commandment from the rest of the commandments of the Torah in order to receive reward – we do not prevent him from performing it according to its law. And if he brought a burnt offering – we accept it from him. If he gave tzedakah – we accept it from him. And it appears to me that we give it to the poor of Israel, since he is sustained by Israel and it is a mitzvah to sustain him, but etc. Thus far his words. And it is dealing with the time of the Temple, and where he accepted upon himself not to worship idols, see there. And also now, the livelihood is from one another, and there are no idolaters among us.

And all this refers to the giving of money for tzedakah, but when they volunteer an object to the beit kenesset, we accept it from them. For this is like a sacrifice which we accept from them, as we expound: "Any man, any man" – to teach regarding them that we accept from them a sacrifice, vows, and voluntary offerings; and it will be explained in siman 259. And from an apostate to Ishmael we do not accept. And some say that we do accept, and it is not comparable to a sacrifice (see Shach subsection 5).