Tithe for checking the mezuza

Dear Rabbi! About three years ago we checked our mezuzos. Now I want to check them again. But right now, it’s not easy for me to spend the money necessary for this. Can I use the tithe money for it?  

Dear …!

One is not allowed to use the tithes to fulfill commandments that one is obligated to fulfill. Therefore, you are not permitted to use your tithe money to check the mezuzot.

However, the truth is that only the first check requires an expert. He has to check that each letter was written correctly according to the law, he has to check all the “complete” and “incomplete” spellings (that is, spellings with and without the letter “vov”; for example, the word “mezuzot” is mentioned twice in the text of the mezuza, and it’s spelled differently each time).

But for the subsequent checks you only have to make sure that nothing got ruined. Therefore, you can easily do it yourself. Carefully take the mezuza out of the box, inspect it to make sure that nothing got erased and there is no wetness, roll it up carefully and put it back in place.

In addition to that, here is an advice for you. If you are in such dire straits, you can find another person in the same situation as you, give him your tithes, and he’ll give you his tithes. Then you’ll be able to use the money for anything you need.

Shulchan Oruch, section Yore Dea, chapter 291