Taking Money Out of the Mourner's House for Charity
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Question
Is it permissible to take Mishnah books out of the mourner's house for study in memory of the deceased, or to collect money there for charity, considering that an evil spirit resides in the mourner's house?
Answer
It is permissible to be lenient and take out items, even if they were not brought in from outside during the seven days of mourning, and one who observes the commandment will not know anything bad.
Source
The Aruch HaShulchan in section 224, paragraph 8, mentions that it is customary not to take anything from the mourner's house during the entire seven days of mourning because the spirit of impurity resides there.
However, the Chida in the book Yosef Ometz writes that he received from his teacher, the Gaon Rabbi Chaim Segal, that the custom not to take anything from the mourner's house during the seven days has no basis, and he said that this mistake arose from the ruling that if someone lent a garment to a friend to go to the mourner's house, he is not allowed to take it back until the mourning days are over.
If an item was brought in from outside during the seven days, our teacher Rabbi's opinion is that it is permissible to be lenient and take it out.
For the purpose of a mitzvah, it is permissible to take out even what was there before the seven days, and although there are those who are stringent not to take anything out of the mourner's house because of the presence of an evil spirit, nevertheless, for the purpose of a mitzvah, it is permissible to be lenient, combining the opinion of Yosef Ometz.