Responsa for Arakhin 11:20
בדעת ישראל הפרשתיה יגוד וישתמש במותר ואם לאו טעונה גניזה חיישינן שמא בלבו לשמים
Now it was assumed that this is permitted only for himself, but not for anybody else;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to use this coin for his own purpose, to refund it to the Sanctuary afterwards. But it would be wrong for him to lend it to his neighbour, for it may be argued reasonably that he meant to use it meantime for himself, whilst conscious of his obligation to pay it later into the Temple treasury. But he surely did not, in his intention to use it, include ally benefit to his neighbour such as a loan to him of this sum.');"><sup>12</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. The oil-lamp of our synagogue emits a dense smoke which causes damage to the congregants and occasionally compels them to leave the synagogue altogether. Some persons have donated money for the purpose of buying oil for the synagogue. Must we continue to bear the smoke of the oil-lamp, or may we divert the donated money to another purpose?
A. The money may be used for buying waxen candles. The purpose for which the money was given may be changed by the members of the synagogue (though it can not be so changed by the donor) for the following reasons: a) Preparing an object for sacred use does not sanctify the object until it is actually used for such purpose; b) candles and oil used in a synagogue are not intrinsically sacred; nor are they even considered tashmishe kedushah (objects used for a sacred function) since they are not indispensable to the function of the synagogue.
SOURCES: L. 269; P. 299–300.
A. The money may be used for buying waxen candles. The purpose for which the money was given may be changed by the members of the synagogue (though it can not be so changed by the donor) for the following reasons: a) Preparing an object for sacred use does not sanctify the object until it is actually used for such purpose; b) candles and oil used in a synagogue are not intrinsically sacred; nor are they even considered tashmishe kedushah (objects used for a sacred function) since they are not indispensable to the function of the synagogue.
SOURCES: L. 269; P. 299–300.
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