For 22 years, Maran Sar HaTorah HGR’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l mentioned time and again that one should give matanos l’evyonim to Kupat Ha’ir, as he himself did* The best time to give is now, before Purim, to enable the Kupat Ha’ir messengers to reach the homes of the poor on Purim morning with cash envelopes* Opportunity’s knocking now!
It’s hard to describe in words all the preparations Kupat Ha’ir makes for Purim. All the lists have to be checked and re-checked for accuracy- the current financial state of the family, how many family members at home, monthly income, and how much money to give them for matanos l’evyonim. There are thousands of needy families on the lists, and if they don’t get the envelopes Purim morning, many won’t have the means to purchase food for the Purim meal.
Special messengers are chosen- those who live in Jerusalem and cities that were walled in the time of Yehoshua bin Nun are chosen to give out envelopes in cities that celebrate Purim earlier so as not to infringe on the messengers’ Purim, and the opposite is done with messengers who celebrate Purim earlier- they’re given envelopes for ‘walled-city’ residents.
The Gedolei HaDor have determined in past years that the preparations must be done early to ensure that the poor will receive the matanos l’evyonim in the morning so they’ll have what they need for the meal, and so the public is encouraged to donate early to enable the envelopes to be prepared, filled and delivered on time. Donations made through different means are all changed into cash for this purpose. Thus, the mitzvah of giving matanos l’evyonim is performed with great hiddur.
It’s worth repeating that for 22 years Maran Sar HaTorah HGR’ Chaim Kanievsky zt”l instructed all questioners throughout the Jewish world how to perform the mitzvah of matanos l’evyonim in a superior fashion, writing many times that “I was asked, “where is the proper place for matonos le’evyonim?”and I replied that I give to Kupat Ha’ir, since they distribute to the desperately poor, the Gabba’im are like Rabi Chanina ben Teradyon, and they distribute to all
circles and that is where one should give matanos le’evyonim.“
His letter is clear and unequivocal, a practical instruction for the public on erev Purim- assist Kupat Ha’ir to give matanos l’evyonim to thousands of needy families in cash, on Purim day, like he himself did every year.
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