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Siman 656 – Spending more on Hiddur Mitzva

וChelek 6

  1. “Hiddur mitzva ad shlish”. If your esrog (or any mitzva item) is kasher but not according to all opinions, you must spend an extra 33% to find an esrog which is kasher according to all opinions. So if you spent $30 already, you must look for an upgrade for $10 more. The Gr”a brings down to spend an extra 50% ($15). (ShA – BeH “im kana” – ShaH 4)
  2. The Gr”a holds that even if you already purchased a kasher esrog, just not as mehudar as a second one, swap it for an extra 50% of the original cost. (MB )
  3. If you are being offered 2 grades of esrogim, and the higher one is within a third of the cost of the lower one, you have to buy the higher one? According to the Shulchan Aruch no. According to the Gr”a yes. Even if yes, if subsequently, yet a higher grade esrog comes your way, you do not need to purchase it. (ShA – BeH “b’tzimtzum” – MB )
  4. In case that the proprietor is not willing to take the first esrog back, you do not have to purchase the second one and be left with two. Unless you have someone who wants to buy your first esrog. (MB )
  5. You need to spend this extra “shlish” expenditure as long as it is no more than 10% of your overall wealth. (Perhaps above 10% you need to spend on hiddur, but not over 20% of your overall wealth.) (MB )
  6. You will get rewarded in Olam Haba for spending an extra “shlish” on a mitzva item. If you want to spend more than that, Hashem will reimburse you. (MB )
  7. Some say that a wealthy person needs to spend even more than a “shlish” on a mitzva item. (MB )
  8. If you are faced with the transgression of a “lo sa’aseh”, you need to spend all of your money in order to “save yourself” from this action of transgression. This is true, even if as a result you will need to ask for charity to support you and your family. (MB )
  9. You aren’t allowed to cut off your soul by taking a job that involves desecrating Shabbos, even if you can’t find any other one. (MB )
  10. If you bought an esrog and it is found to be rotten, you can get your money back. If there is a doubt that perhaps it became rotten after you bought it, you must bring a proof that it was already rotten and then you get your money back. (BeH “v’ayin”)
  11. Once you pay money to purchase a mitzva item, it belongs to you. The sale is final even though normally you need to do “meshicha”. (BeH “v’ayin”)