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There’s an old practice of when something new is inaugurated in the Kodesh arena, oftentimes the community will sell sponsorships for dedications of it in order to finance it. Whether it be the building of a new Yeshiva, Shul, an Aron Kodesh or even simply the Seforim Shrank in the Bais Medrash. I’ve long wondered why the sponsor needs to see his name prominently plastered on a plaque for all to notice everytime they pass by; after all the Ribono Shel Olam will give him the full and same (perhaps even more) credit for financing the construction of the Bais Medrash even if his name isn’t shouted in big bold letters outside the building for all on the street to see.
But the purpose of this discussion isn’t to argue that point, as its already been done as such for a long time. Perhaps the answer to the above is that some people who can sponsor costly Kli Kodesh will neglect doing so without the klal stroking his ego with such prominent recognition.
What brings us here today is the, rather, very new trend of suddenly every newfangled thing needing a sponsor. Publishing a podcast? This podcast sponsored לז״נ פלוני בן פלוני. Or this concert sponsored לז״נ פלוני בן פלוני (though your full ticket price is going to the singer). This magazine (that you paid a subscription for) published לז״נ by his loving son Yair Gvirman.
I think the point is made. There are even more glaring examples of this that I can’t recall at the moment. Are we next going to be treated to this ice cream parlor made possible לז״נ? Or this Uncle Moishe show (that you bought tickets for) sponsored by so-and-so. And this Thursday Night’s Cholent dedicated by Raymond McFresser.
ujm, indeed, the best is to sponsor kiddush and havdala and be mentioned in yakum purkan (that seems to support your idea omitting those whose names are on the building walls).
You’re learning how non for profit is a billion dollar industry
Do I detect a hint of jealousy?
Is UJM perhaps looking to start a podcast shiur with cholent sponsored by Raymond McFresser?It is just an excuse for the podcast host to not have pay himself. Instead of just asking for charity, they turn it into a mitzvah by allowing to dedicate “leiluy nishmas”. Or maybe if someone does learn something good from it it would be worth it..
If it helps fund a worthy project or program, than sponsorships make sense if done in good taste. The nightly Daf Yomi shiur with R’ Stefansky begins with his briefly reading and displaying on the screen the names of several sponsors. Clearly, these funds are helping to sustain and expand perhaps the largest online daf program with 25,000+ participants. At the same time, I’ve been to some shuls where literally every room, chair, shtender, paroches, and every square inch of wall space has a an engraved brass plaque with the name of the donor or referencing some niftar z’l etc.
Its all a question of doing so in a measured way for a worthwhile cause.
”This is one of those rare occasions where I agree with Joe.
The point of dedicating something is that there is a mitzvah involved, and you want it to be a zchus for someone. So if I sponsor a day of learning at my kid’s school in memory of my grandparents, the merit of the learning from that day should go towards them.
Having sponsors for things like podcasts where they’re just interviewing someone doesn’t make much sense, unless it’s purely a business sponsorship – in which case it’s basic advertising. A new caterer sponsoring a kiddush and providing the food is done in the hope that people will enjoy the food, and then shop at the store.Putting the first point aside. If the money is helping support a religious organization, or for a seuda who’s Berachot will be Lz”n, or to an ani, or even if it is for marketing purposes, what exactly is the problem?
Yes, I have always wondered about people who dedicate money to have the name of a loved one on a siddur. Pocket size? Another name, middle size with English instructions? Another name. The printing company is going to print it and make a profit; no matter what, all the donors are doing is giving the printer more money.
This is not like those who donate money to artscroll in order for them to research and produce seforim that otherwise would not be printed. For example, if Artscroll would charge the true cost of what it takes to produce one volume of a translated Yerushalmi, they would never sell a single copy. The donors in those cases are actually being marbitz Torah in a real way. But a siddur that the company already has? Nisht
If podcast has Divrei Torah how’s it different from someone supporting Torah tapes?
Rocky > The printing company is going to print it and make a profit; no matter what, all the donors are doing is giving the printer more money.
If there is competition, then the printer’s profit will reflect the donations and the sale price will be lower.
Probably, a more effective way to do tzedokah would be to donate money directly to the buyers – a voucher upon presenting a receipt for the siddur.
Why is nobody complaining about the amount of time spent on auctioning aliyahs?
Quare_root – maybe because most shuls don’t do it regularly? My shul does it 4 days per year – 2 for Rosh Hashanah, then Yom Kippur and Simchas Torah. They usually don’t take too long. Simchas Torah is usually the longest, and it’s done between Mincha and Maariv, so it’s not like it makes davening end later. It’s also recognized that the auctions help our shul meet its annual budget, so people don’t mind it.
I have personally been experiencing a form of this as well.
About ten months ago, I began writing a Sefer Torah. Along the way, people have been asking me if they can dedicate a letter or word or whatnot for various reasons*. I have always felt very strange about the idea of taking other people’s money for things like this.
Sometimes, I’ll honor the request and tell them, “Sure, I’ll write the letter/word for you for <fill in the reason here>, and do so. But I have never accepted money for it, and I have no plans to change that policy.
The Wolf
* No, they’re not asking to purchase a letter. I’m not really in favor of doing that either, but no one’s asked, so the issue hasn’t come up.
AAQ- Do you really think that the printers lower the cost of the siddur because someone sponsored it? I would be shocked if that were true.
Consider the seforim put out by the Chofetz cChaim Heritage Foundation. They have sponsors on every page and multiple sponsors on top of that. The books cost as much as any other Artscroll sefer.
Consider the annual Tisha Bav video. They get a gazillion sponsors for everything you can imagine and still charge $20 admission fee.
Rocky,
I said “if there is competition”. Book and bookstore market may not be so good, so you might be right. But also keep in mind, costs of developing a book, especially with a translation, are high. So, maybe sponsors enable publishing more books than would otherwise published.If you are looking for affordable English seforim, search amazon books and click on “used only”. You get good conditioned books at < $10 each. I found out about this when the kids gave me a present of multiple of my favorite seforim and I wondered how they were able to afford that 🙂
What about dedications for commodes?
ע’ שו”ת הרשב”א (ח”א, סי’ תקפא
ע’ שו”ת הרשב”א (ח”א, סי’ תקפא
“What about dedications for commodes?”
Well, I guess you have to draw a line somewhere. Its doubtful anyone wants to spend several hundred dollars for a small brass plaque in the back of a stall door for someone to read about his tatah, a’h, while sitting on the throne.
There are surely many piuos and sincere intentions amongst the gvirim when doing the above, but there are also….. What the Zohar mentions, that there are 5 types of amalek, and one of them are people who donate money to have their name put up on plaques saying they donated whatever it is…. just saying…
“What about dedications on commodes”. Certainly when you serve peor. Or people whose Torah can be expressed when sitting there.
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