Chain Reaction 

Then just about a year ago, as the first lockdown took hold, the thread was revived. I didn’t really belong there, but I was on it, so I was privy to the most extraordinary chain of chesed I have ever seen in my lifetime.

The first email was businesslike and straight to the point. Rabbosai, mishpachos in our community are in desperate need. The economy was badly affected and people won’t be getting their paychecks before Pesach. We need some sort of keren to help them out. A few lines were devoted to details of who would oversee the funds and which rabbanim would be involved in the distribution. The email concluded, Please reply to this email with pledges.

The first reply came in barely a minute later. It contained less than five characters: 100k.

No comments, no questions asked, no insistence on seeing the paperwork, not even a message about what a zechus it is to be able to be mishtatef with such an honored group. Just a pledge — of an astronomical sum — to help a Yid b’tza’ar.