“Floaties are not a substitute for supervision! In fact, they can actually increase the risk of drowning by providing a false sense of security”
I read with interest the inbox letter titled “Family First,” with a reader’s thoughts about a proposed initiative to allocate tzedakah money proportionately to luxury spending. We should be praising our donors to major institutions, those who host fundraisers for communal organizations and give generously of their finances. At the same time, it may behoove those who have the ability to do all of this to think very carefully.
Even if their siblings are not living below the poverty level or in desperate financial straits, does it really make so much sense to build palatial mansions, travel excessively, and host exquisite parlor meetings when their siblings are just scraping by? We all benefit from the gvirim and donors in our communities, but a test of real character is how those who were blessed with more act toward their own families. When you host elaborate fundraisers for communal institutions or double the size of your house so you can host communal activities but have siblings who can’t afford to send their children to camp, do basic necessary house repairs, pay for needed orthodontic work for their children, and the like, you’ve kind of missed the point that chesed begins at home.
It’s time for those with the means to proactively think of their siblings’ lives and struggles, though it may be a lot more glorious to help outside organizations than to think of ways to help your struggling sibling.
A Reader
As usual, this past week’s issue was very informative and entertaining. I especially enjoyed seeing the smiling face of my ninth grade Chaim Berlin Rebbe, Rav Avraham Kleinkaufman, and learning about Reb Shlomo Friedmann, who started him on his path to yeshivah attendance.
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