Parshas Terumah 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Mar 1
- 2 min read
ושחד לא תקח כי השחד יעור פקחים ויסלף דברי צדיקים ... (ג-ח)
MASHAL: During the war years, R’ Avraham Kalmanovitz zt”l, Mir Rosh Yeshivah, was unceasing in his efforts to raise money for the Jews suffering in Europe. He was a talented orator, but even more than that, he was a gifted “fainter” - a skill he would employ to direct attention to the plight of the Jews. He didn’t care that his schnorring (solicitation) during the war years made him unpopular, and he never missed an opportunity to make an appeal for life-saving funds.
At one synagogue function, he was spotted approaching the building, and measures were immediately taken to prevent him from entering. But they weren’t quick enough. R’ Kalmanovitz entered the building, and everyone knew that an appeal would soon follow. As they scrambled for a way to prevent him from reaching the podium, the rabbi put the crowd at ease. “I don’t want to speak,” he pledged to a swarm of unbelieving eyes. “All I want to do is say one word.”
One word? Why, even the greatest fund solicitors in history could not crack open wallets with just one word. It was a safe gamble, they reasoned, and he certainly had them intrigued!
R’ Kalmanovitz ascended to the podium and waited for the crowd to fall silent. Then, in a terrifying shrill, he belted out: “AAAHHH!!” and fell to the floor in a dead faint. “Breng vasser!” (bring water) they screamed as everyone looked on in anxious horror. R’ Avraham regained conscious, lifted one eye and raised his voice: “Vasser brengt mir? Breng gelt!”
NIMSHAL: The art of soliciting money for charity is quite old. Hashem himself solicited funds for the building of the Mishkan! So next time we are approached by an uncanny and unrelenting solicitor - give him the benefit of the doubt, because he is most likely a worthy individual!