All Because of Four Shekels
One day, the secretary in the office of P’eylim/Lev L’Achim fielded an unusual call. The man on the line was asking that his monthly donation of ten shekels be increased to fourteen. Rabbi Uri Zohar, who was in the office at the time, was intrigued. Four shekels is equivalent to a little over $1. Rabbi Zohar called the man back, thanked him for his monthly donation, and then gently asked him to explain the reason for increasing his donation.
The man responded: “I learn in kollel and have a large family to support. Baruch Hashem, we manage, but we live frugally. For years, I was able to contribute fourteen shekels to tzedakah, and I had that amount automatically withdrawn from my account each month and sent to your organization. About six months ago, my wife began feeling ill and needed my help in the evenings. I left the night kollel I was in, and since we lost that income, I had to reduce my monthly payment to ten shekels.
“Now my wife is doing better, and I was able to return to my night kollel. Since we have more money coming in, I called to increase my donation.”
Rav Uri thanked the man and assured him that his donation was very important to the organization’s work of bringing non-religious children closer to Torah and mitzvos.
The next week Rabbi Zohar traveled to America to raise funds for P’eylim/Lev L’Achim. He met with a particular philanthropist, who wrote out a check for $50,000. But Rabbi Zohar thought the wealthy man could do better. He told him the story of the kollel student who sacrificed to give as much as he could for the benefit of P’eylim/Lev L’Achim.
“When one gives with a pure heart, the amount doesn’t matter, so long as it reflects one’s maximum abilities,” Rabbi Zohar pointed out.
The wealthy man was so touched by the story of the kollel student’s sacrifice and sincerity that he ripped up his original check and wrote out a new one for $100,000!
Upon his return to Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Zohar related this story to the great tzaddik Rav Aharon Leib Steinman. Rav Steinman responded, “Can you imagine? After 120 years, this kollel avreich will arrive in Heaven and be greeted by dozens of children who became frum and established frum families all because of his four shekels!”
(Rabbi Dov Weller, The Eishes Chayil Yamim Noraim Treasury, Artscroll Publications, pages 43-45)
Value and cherish every mitzvah, no matter how big or small it seems to be.
Take This Home
It is so easy to mistakenly think that your actions make very little difference. Never underestimate the impact you can have. Recognize the value of every mitzvah you do today, and let that realization drive you forward.
In Short
“Pack all the joy experienced by all people until the end of time into one minute. Even this concentration of joy would not equal the smallest possible reward given for the smallest mitzvah.”
It Happened to Me
My Olam Haba Moment
I accidently damaged something in a local store, but it wasn’t clear whether it was my fault or if it was due to the store’s negligence. When I saw that the discussion about what had happened was about to turn into an argument, I told the owner that I would like to pay for the item and handed over my credit card. The cost of the item was substantial, but I found that thinking about eternity instead of just focusing on the here and now helped me handle the situation the way I did.
When I got home, I put the item on display in my dining room even though it was damaged and shared the story with my children. I want them to make Olam Haba decisions too.
A.G.
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