By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Halberstam (1927-1994) of the Klausenberg Chassidic dynasty founded the Sanz Medical Center, a voluntary, not-for-profit hospital also known as the Laniado Hospital in Netanya.
After opening it, the Klausberger Rebbe requested that diamond dealer Binyomin Wulliger ask several questions to the Lubavitcher Rebbe in regards to the hospital.
A short while later, a delegation from Israel arrived for an audience with the Rebbe at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY.
The Rebbe greeted them, and said, “When it comes to charity, one should pursue the opportunity to give, but when giving advice, one should wait until asked.”
The Rebbe responded to their questions and asked them to describe many particulars about how the hospital was funded and managed. One of the attendees, a Klausenberg activist, told the Rebbe that he’d once been asked these questions before, but had turned to Rabbi Halberstam for answers since he did not know the details.
“In truth,” the activist had asked Rabbi Halberstam, “where does the funding come from?”
Rabbi Halberstam responded, “I also do not know.”
The Rebbe appreciated the story, and asked the man if other members of the Klausenberg movement donate to the hospital. The man answered affirmatively.
The Rebbe then asked, “Do they give because Rabbi Halberstam asks them to, or because it is a charitable cause? If they give because they were told to, it is not a good sign. Rather, they need to give because they understand the importance of the hospital.”
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