Comments on: Out Of The Mailbag – To YW Editor (Food For Thought – Purim/Pesach)

By: theshmoozer

theshmoozer — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:23:26 +0000

Re #52.

As a general rule, the policy in my home is that we do not pledge any amount of money, to any organization – no matter how worthy – over the phone. There is a single exception. a Bais Yackov in a midwestern city has their own students call and ask for donations on behalf of the school. the girls are sincere, pleasant and do not pressure anyone to pledge any amount more than they want to. Moreover, they do it because they WANT TO out of an achrayos for their school. The girls volunteer for this, they are not volunteered, pressured or required to make these calls (we asked the school). Perhaps this is an approach more yeshivos should try?

By: shain

shain — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:23:41 +0000

Yitzy99 — yes, maybe you are right….

lkwdfellow — I agree that hakaras hatov is very important, but I don’t think asking for handouts is the best way to do it. Having the bochrim involved in other methods of fundraising that don’t have the feel of schnorring would be better practice in my opinion.

By: theshmoozer

theshmoozer — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:23:09 +0000

To #1: Kul Haposhet Nosein, does not dictate how much you must give. You feel it is more apprpriate to give to aniye hair, then give to the mosdos that collect for that purpose. those who come to your door, whether it be via limo, helicopter or horseback, give them a dollar, if that is all you have, or feel the organization deserves.

Nobody tells you how to give your tzedaka, please dont dictate to people how to collect the funds they need.

Lihavdil elef havdalos, on halloween night, those who dont want kids ringing their bell asking for candy, hang a sign on the door that says please do not trick or treat here. If you do not want bachurim ringing your door bell, leave a note on the door to that effect.

By: yitzy99

yitzy99 — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:30:08 +0000

Having Bochrim go door to door to collect money is a wonderful practice that should be encouraged. First,it is good chinuch to habituate our children to asking for handouts. After all, if they have few employable skills, and little secular education, how will they “earn” a living. Second, being driven in limos habituates them to first class luxuries which they can ill afford. Thirdly, isn’t it important for Bocrim to fit in with the modern lifestyle and what’s more modern than a limo with a bar? One night a year they can act like celebrities, what’s the harm?

By: Well

Well — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:23:13 +0000

34 and 39 you are hysterical!

By: KSN

KSN — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:11:07 +0000

Gold, Thank you for sharing that beautiful excerpt.

By: Sawlgood

Sawlgood — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:41:31 +0000

Regarding the question posed about Yeshiva’s collecting on Purim, I’m no baki in anything, but I’m pretty sure that, as the writer noted, it is not an attempt to collect matanos la’evyonim, rather they are taking advantage of the mitzvah of kol haposhet yad. Kal haposhet yad is not only connected to charity for poor people. It is one of the mitzvos that is associated with the simcha of the day. A yid celebrates his recognition of the endless chasdei Hashem and the nissim of Purim and the downfall of Amalek by readily distributing the money Hashem has graced him with to anyone who shows a need for it. We are celebrating our awareness of how the world really works. That certainly and especially includes the needs of yeshivos and modos of harbatzas torah that are keeping the world running every moment.
A proof to what I’m saying can be seen clearly this year in E”Y, where we are zocheh to have a Purim Meshulash here in Yerushalayim (three-day Purim when 15th falls out on shabbos). The mitzvos of Purim are divided amongst the three days and (acc. to the commonly accepted opinions) Sunday is the day when we do the mitzvos that are associated with mishteh v’simcha, like the seuda and mishloah manos. Matanos L’evyonim is given on the previous Friday. The yeshiva bochrim do not come around collected on Friday because they aren’t collecting for evyonim, they come on Sunday because it is a mitzvah of kol haposhet yad, which is a mitzvah of Yiddishe simcha.
Just like in all other mitzvos, we should all be zocheh to rid ourselves of the confusing machshavos of Amalek so that we can give with a gishmak.

By: HEAD IN THE SAND

HEAD IN THE SAND — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:26:55 +0000

to what they do with their money)

By: HEAD IN THE SAND

HEAD IN THE SAND — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:26:11 +0000

Chovos halevovos shaar habitachon is a very nice way to know how to spend your money. why would you think that a person would suddenly give his money else where if someone imposed a change in collecting patterns (assuming people make rational decisions as

By: Gold

Gold — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:33:21 +0000

From Ahavas Chesed by the Chafetz Chaim, Epilogue, page 230-231: “In former times, people lived on very low standards. They only spent money for basic necessities. In time of emergency, it was sufficient to fulfill one’s charity obligations with the modest sum of money one held ready for tzedakah and chesed. Circumstances have changed. People spend much of their money on luxuries and pleasures, on expensive clothes and homes, on domestic help and the like. The measure of man’s charity and chesed, which involves his very life and soul, his deliverance in this world and the next, should not be less than for one of these luxuries. …As is known, charity and chesed overcome the attribute of strict justice. …Chazal have commented, ‘Whosoever has mercy on human beings will be granted mercy from Heaven.’ In these times we see with our own eyes how the attribute of strict justice grows stronger in the world from day to day. All kinds of maladies and unnatural deaths abound. There is a lack of Divine influence in the world, so that each day is more cursed than the day before. How much must we increase the prevalence of tzedaka and chesed. Perhaps in this way, we shall succeed in averting the severity of the judgement and the world will become filled with mercy.”