Dear Meshulach,
There’s something that has been bothering me for a while and has recently become out of hand. One day, while davening Shachris in the main shul of 770, a group of about 10 Chassidishe/Polisher bochurim walked in. They split into groups of two, and went to ask every single person in the shul for tzedaka, not differentiating between married or bochur, before or in the middle of davening.
What I am writing now is not directed at anyone in particular, nor am I working for any institution in particular; it’s plainly a general sentiment.
The few minutes we have in the morning to daven to the Aibishter before we head out to work is extremely precious and valuable and short. And we typically give tzedakah right before we do that, as halacha says to do.
Sadly, it is severely ruined when disturbed by many collectors/meshulachim.
This raises the following question:
1) If this bombardment doesn’t bring in any money, then why disturb and harass so many people just trying to daven? Better get a full-time job, and your maaser or choimish will equal out. We know there’s a din that a person shouldn’t live off other people if he can support himself (פשוט נבילה בשוק ואל תצטרך לבריות).
2) If it does bring in money, then there is an inherent injustice happening here. Every person you’re asking money from has many people and moisdos to support, beginning with our local ones and then those we have a connection to (everyone has a relative making a wedding and can use an extra dollar, everyone tries to help a Yeshiva/school/camp they went to as kids, or have friends who now lead communities and moisdos).
We know there is a rule called עניי עירך קודמין, which means giving to a poor person in your city before giving to a poor person from another. By asking people for money, there’s room to say you’re being עובר ״לפני עיוור״.
There’s a reason the Shuls, schools, & Mikvaos in Williamsburg Boro Park, etc., are beautiful. It’s simply because there are fewer moisdos to fund. Lubavitch has many thousands of moisdos in Crown Heights and across the world, all of whom could use money. Please be considerate and let us give to our own moisdos. A young Lubavitcher shouldn’t feel embarrassed to fundraise in 770 before moving on shlichus because every person he’s about to ask has already been asked multiple times by others.
מה שהיה היה and may we merit the coming of Moshiach as we know גדולה צדקה שמקרבת את הגאולה. Amen.
A frustrated mispallel at 770
this is extremely true. These mushalachim should really learn where and how to find the best donors, instead of annoying people.
But then again,. they are pretty good at annoying people
they make alot of money $1k a day
How can it be that Yidden, who are called ‘Ish Hachesed’, are upset that people are coming to ask them for Tzedakah, and Bifrat Chasidei Chabad, that one our biggest avodah is ahavas yisroel?! And Noch Mer, you’re calling fellow yidden, just because they dont know b’gilui that they are chasidei chabad, you call them an putsider?! And what about waht the rebbe emphasised, ‘Gedolah tzedakah shemkureves es hageulah?! YIDDEN, CHASIDIM, MEINE BRUDEREN! listen, it should pain us when we have to tell a meshualch, “i’m sorry, i have nothing for you”, and the pain should be b’pnimiyus! It does… Read more »
The above comment (titled disgusting) was not written by a lubavitcher, as clearly seen from his trying to use Chabad lingo and shprach, but it was a pretty epic failure and he is very clearly not from ana”sh. If so why did he write what he did? Very simple, he is probably one of those collectors and is trying to guilt trip us for calling him out! And in general, the article is 100% true, its not right that we have so many struggling local moisdois (and I would assume our support for our shluchim comes before the Boro-Park ect.… Read more »
Bosi Legani contains a story of someone who came to “bother” a *Rebbe* for tzedakah before davening.
Don’t you remember this *basic* story!?
I don’t believe this author is a chossid of the Rebbe who stood for *hours* every Sunday to make every random person who came a shliach for tzedaka. Shocking.
How can a Jew be an outsider!?
How can tzedakah be a disturbance from davening!?
You are annoyed to be asked for tzadaka? Pray to Hashem you never be in a position to need tzadaka, and give without discriminating too much, is my advice.
Within the next few minutes, do NOT interrupt a Yid that’s davening!!!!
They’re in every shul in every neighborhood….
Whenever I see these young Bar Mitzvah Bochurim collecting money, i think to myself how lucky we are to be Lubavitchers.
The Rebbe sent us on a similar mission to approach people unabashedly;
however, the Rebbe sent us on a mission to give,
and these people are on a mission to take.
please re read the Tanya and Chofetz Chaim.
Are you saying that in Chabad we don’t collect what we need to? We as well will collect when we have a need. Both personally as well for organization.
we don’t raise our kids to normalize asking for money.
we ask if we need to, we don’t want our kids to be comfortable with it. it speaks about it all over gemara and in the Rambam, better starve than have to live off others.
by the way not every human can work. some people have mental or physical disabilities.
I think what he’s trying to say is that in lubavitch we don’t send the young bachurim to collect money the way other non-chabad moisdos do
כידוע the story of the person which told the rebbe off for giving tzedakah at night. וד”ל
What’s the story? Not everybody knows it
Who are you to judge? The guy can’t just share his feelings?
It’s as if I wrote this myself. Thank you. Yes.
not sure if it’s right to categorize all as takers, many are in true need..
There is a org, in Williamsburg run by Rabbi avrohom leifer who pays the meat and fish bills of 150 almonos in crown heights, he started helping our almonos before he raised a penny in crown heights, his crown heights budget per year is over half a million dollars.
It’s not so simple they take from us and also give, don’t forget many shluchim are supported by other chassidim etc,
This man is a Tzaddik. He also helps woman who are not Almanos but are in difficult situations.
In general, Shluchim that are supported by other groups of Chassidim, are supported by those individuals, because they frequent their Chabad House or use their services, when on business trip or vacations
I agree with most of this, until the part about
“ A young Lubavitcher shouldn’t feel embarrassed to fundraise in 770 before moving on shlichus”
Shlichus should be funded by the local community in which the Shlichus takes place, or by a few wealthy benefactors.
Like the author stated, עניי עירך קודמין.
If he didn’t move out yet which community is he fundraising from?
bochurim about to go on shlichus should 100% collect in 770 and I am happy to give them, they should be counted as in our city as Lubavitchers
Shlichus is one thing that we support unconditionally. Before you respond- when was the last time you went on mivtzoim?
Time to move on shlichus
If you are in the position to give
Then give
If you cannot say nicely I am unfortunately unable to give at the moment
No reason to hate
i thought one of the main reasons for this world is to give tzedaka. if it’s interupting your davening why not have them ask before or after but not during/in between the davening.
A yid is a yid and tzedeko is tzedeko. This oped is off base.
Is this complaint coming from your nefesh eloikus or your nefesh habehamis
Think of it like be in middle of a conversation from a pay phone.
The operator cuts it rudely and says “to continue this connection, please deposit…”
וד״ל
Well said 👍🏼
איי, דאס זאל זיין פון אונזער גרעסטע פראבלעמען 🤔😟😞
עס איז טאקע אזוי
I agree with everything you wrote. However, the idea that a Shliach moving out on Shlichus is raising funds during Davening is also something that should be addressed. Furthermore, the idea of asking everyone in 770 to support your coummunity out ther in the big world, seems wrong to me. The same Halacha applies that your coomunity comes first, yes, before some town out there in the world. Crown Heights can not support every Shliach going out, we are a regular community with a few wealthy, many middle class and even more poor. Why not make appointments with the few… Read more »
100%
This happens in every heimish shul in the world it’s a beautiful thing embrace it and feel part of klal Yisroel (btw most of these bochurim are mostly Hungarian so no need to refer to them as Poilishers , time to drop these terms).
Some of them are so aggressive that they could make 10-20 times more money working as salesmen.
I wouldn’t have made it about lubavitch and Polisher. I like the first two points.
I give masser to colel chabad and sometimes a bit extra to local chesed org. I have quarters for my shul in the morning. Masser burns a whole in my pocket. People don’t have extra money to give.
Collecting shouldn’t be a job you go get.
You just can’t give
These guys make few hundred thousand a year
No degree needed
While I see where you’re coming from and it can be frustrating, tzedaka is tzedaka and they are yidden stretching their hand to you. I see many people and even wealthy Baa’lai Batim in 770 which prepare 2-3-5-10 dollars in singles under their Tallis bag and give to whoever asks. Still a huge mitzvah to give. HALVAI THIS should be our worst problem.
I mean this is on the
Money I wish there was a solution!
Next article about double parking on alternate side parking days
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NUMBER on the window!!!!!! Hashem
Looks like you are more upset that these bochurim are not lubavitchers, more then disturbing your davening. If these bochurim were lubavitchers you wouldnt have written this oped would you? Highly doubt it. Instead of “every community has to stick to their own problems ” attitude, how about when it comes to collecting for kinus, shluchim, and other world wide organizations that are run by lubavitch, stick to your own. No need to ask “outsiders” for tzedaka, when you have shluchim world wide who can donate from their meisar. Another well known crown heights rav said: every community should stick… Read more »
A lot of Shluchims master probably wouldn’t help you
I’m not sure which side I’m on, but two points.
One: It seems he’s saying the non lubavitch bochurim are less sensitive as to who they’re asking and what they’re in middle of doing (as opposed to the lubavitchers)
Two: Shluchim serve all yidden, as you hear in so many stories (which is usually why they’re giving back to shluchim)
lol. you end off גדולה צדקה שמקרבת את הגאולה, so more tzedakah brings geulah closer. so they are helping you out, stop moaning!
btw, if addressed to meshulach, write up in yiddish, here its just for the clicks.
I’ve recently Davened a few tefilos in some polisher Shuls, and as expected there are many people who come and collect there and 1) not a lot of people give (at least compared to 770), and 2) just imagine what it would look like if a Lubavitcher walked into one of their shuls to collect, there is so much staring just by us davening there, I don’t think they would receive one is collecting money very well.
So bikitzur, they have no business coming to our shuls.
Idk if they should come, but unfortunately the rest sounds pretty accurate
I Daven daily in a non-chabad shul, and guess what, every once in a while there is a Lubavitcher collecting, and Yes – people give Tzdoko indiscriminately…
Many Shluchim collect from other from Yidden money – (I personally know many in Lakewood, Monsey, BP & Willi regular donating to Shluchim)
The above article is silly, if we give without a Cheshbon – Hashem will also give us Parnasah Beharchava, without a Cheshbon.
Hashem has enough money…. for many people giving single dollar bills to a few Tzdoko people every morning will only enhance their day…..
This Op-ed will bring out many different opinions on how to handle this situation.
The most important thing here is to agree to disagree.
There are countless stories that the Rebbe shared about the Rabbeim who went out of their way to help another yid, even during davening on Yom Kippur!
If a yid in need is disturbing your davening, maybe your davening is what needs change.
Please qualify the term “need” before comparing this to a story of the Alter Rebbe
when I am in 770, I give as much as I choose to whomever I choose. For the others there is a very simple formula. A simple gesture of moving your hand from a position with the back of your hand facing up to the palm of your hand facing up indicates that either you have no money to give or choose not to give tzedakah at this moment. it should not interrupt your davening at all. In my experience the fundraiser just moves on and doesn’t try to convince/harass you. As for Yidden coming from other communities, they are… Read more »
“The mitzva of ahavas Yisrael extends to anyone born into the people of Israel, even if you have never met him…” – Hayom Yom, 3 Adar I.
“A soul can descend into This World and live its seventy or eighty years — just in order to do a favor for a fellow Jew in material matters…” – Hayom Yom, 5 Iyar.
“fulfilling the mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael is the gateway through which a person is enabled to enter and stand before G‑d in prayer, and in the merit of [this mitzvah] one’s prayers are accepted.” – Hayom Yom, 2 Tammuz.
Just give and stop complaining be happy your are able to be asked and give with a smile
The Rebbe told us to go out of our community to dedicate our lives to help yidden from all over the world, beruchniyus as well as begashmiyus. But you think that when a yid comes to our community and asks us for help, we should tell them to stay in their community? It seems you are not familiar with Chabad Hashkafa.
It is a fundamental principle of Chabad to help every yid from every community in every way we can. This op-ed is inconsistent with everything the Rebbe taught us.
These taiyere yidden are being mezakeh the Jews of crown heights to give more tzedaka. If they didn’t come around everyone would give a bit less tzedakah. We give them after our tzedaka cheshbon, and that’s beautiful that we get to give extra tzedaka.
The alter rebbe writes give and give tzedaka to redeem your soul as you would spend on medical bills.
It’s shocking that someone has an issue with this. You need to go back from to the story books to find people who slammed the doors on meshulachim (which is in essence what you are doing).
There was a well knows chashuva Rov, back in the 30’s, in the middle of the great depression, who would go door to door with meshulachim, his community threatened to fire him, saying this was disrespectful. He responded, “I like my guests better than my position“.
Every heimishe (Especially chasidhe) yid understands this.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
What do you think the Rebbe would respond to your article? This goes against everything that Torahs HaChassidus and Darkei HaChassidus teach us!!! 1) Read Tanya about the Mitzva of Tzedaka, even more than a Chomesh and Bli Cheshbonos. Literally more than half of The Alter Rebbe’s Igeres Hakodesh. A Chosid goes Lifnim MiShuras Hadin. 2) Avraham told Hashem to wait so he can do Hachnasas Orchim – that’s in the Torah. Stop blaming G-d for this. He wants you to give. (Although on their part, they should be respectful and wait until people are at the end of Davening).… Read more »
Is an old age jewish ‘tradition’ made up of all types and stripes .
Please don’t deny your/our children the chance to physically and actually witness firsthand the giving of Tzedoka which children have seen for many past generations . Thank you .
How about hosting my class of 27 Bachurim next Shabbos for a shabbaton (maybe you can also farbrang for us Friday night by the meal in your house), GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR KIDS TZEDAKA!!!
Anonymous? Cmon say your name so we can discuss properly.
This is kind of nonsense. It will never change so just either give them a dollar or not. Either way just move on…
Zalman Goldstein
Leave me your number and we’ll talk this out personally
I have the same problem in my shul Lubavitchers collecting so they can go to Hong Kong when we have chasidim collecting for aniyim and hachnosos kallah.
If don’t have or don’t want to give, just say no have, or simply leave cup of pennies in front of you for the to help themselves to 🙂
and judging by labels
The author feels in his kishkes he’s being taken advantage of. In many cases he is. Kol haposhet yad is on Purim not every morning. You don’t have time to investigate every tzedaka-seeker during davening. Getting conned isn’t a mitzvah.
There are many legit pushkas in the shul. Starting with the upkeep of the shul you’re davening in. Hatzalah, the Schools, Ted Yad and so many more. It’s misplaced “kindness” to foster the environment described by the author. As the sign says. Don’t feed the wildlife.
There’s a difference if it’s someone fundraising for a noble cause or a homeless drug addict looking for change to buy more poison
I ask this Op Ed writer: What would the Rebbe do? Would he be annoyed at people asking him for tzedakah during his davening? Would he put as stop to collectors from other neighborhoods? I think the Rebbe understands more about “disturbed davening” and the Laws of Tzedaka, but he wouldn’t ban outside collectors (check their yichus and credentials). Think a second: What would the Rebbe do?!
I was recently hospitalized. The kosher hospital food was inedible. B’H’ there is a room fully stocked with excellent kosher food, drinks, hot soup, etc. Financed and stocked by Satmar bikur cholim, I believe. I blessed them heartily every day. Their kids are welcome to approach me any time before or after Amida for tzadaka.
It’s a ridiculous proposition, to give to ours, but not to others.
My problem as everyone should be thinking and those with connections can’t be reaching out to the Hanholas of the other Yeshivas #1 a Bochur Especially a younger one It is not his job he’s not allowed to They should be in Yeshiva sitting and learning! Nothing else not collecting That’s mean as you number one number two my problem is it’s all the pony so-called ScnorersAKa mostly drug addicts That are allowed to come into 770 etc and idiots here give them money which doesn’t go to support them It goes to support the habits that dollar you give… Read more »
This is not the way of the Torah! It’s against everything yiddishkeit stands for! Glat amaratzis! This sounds like it’s coming from somebody who knows too much about secular culture, where they want to keep away from everybody who isn’t exactly like them. They put up walls and hire doormen to keep all the nuisances at bay. This is secularism. It has nothing to do with Judaism! Especially right before Shavuos, when we’re supposed to be ‘k’ish echad belev echad’ and we’re supposed to increase in Ahavas Yisroel and not label yidden as others and tell them to stay away.… Read more »
I sometimes don’t go to shul in the morning cause I can’t afford it anymore as every morning between the regular shnares and the daily new sheliach coming to collect it became to expensive to daven with a minyan in the morning
A penny also counts. How about a change machine that distributes nickels, 16 or 19 for a dollar with the profit to Keren Hashonoh or similar?
All those other communities you speak of have organizations that will help you and any frum yid in a heartbeat, organizations and causes that we don’t in crown heights.
Satmer gives millions to chabad through their mikvah organization and others yearly
What’s your problem? You seem to be very confused. If it’s that people are disturbing you during davening, then what’s the difference if it’s collectors from outside the community or from inside, or if it’s your friends, for that matter? The issue is that people shouldn’t bother others during davening. It has nothing to do with meshulachim. If your issue is about Lifnei Iver, then you should open up a gemara and learn what that actually means. What you are suggesting is that if anybody offers one an opportunity to do one Mitzvah (donating to someone from another community), and… Read more »
for some reason you “happened” to bring in some hearsay story about 10 chassidish boys (using the incorrect description “poilish,” which means “from poland,” when many chassidim come from russia, hungary, and galicia.)
Sounds like Israelis. This goes on CONSTANTLY in Shuls in E.Y. My husband is so upset from this practice. He ignores them.
Like, come at a proper time.
But this is how they run their business.
Think of it as someone who is desperate, and has it hard to trust in Hashem , may we never be challenged, but he’s desparate
May we never be in such a place
I once was asked to donate $10 for supper. The man swiped my credit card and a got a notification from chase that I spent $1,500!!!!!! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!
This is clear proof https://youtu.be/EiWq1BaS038?si=zHGIpGYCYwnXtijW