Either You Are “Chosen” or Not

Once, Rav Elchonon Wasserman had the following outlook and explanation about Parshat Ki Tisa. Rav Elchonon Wasserman was on a fundraising trip for his Yeshiva, which he was a Rosh Yeshiva in. He gave a speech about his Yeshiva in a shul in America on Friday night, Parshat Ki Tisa. Rav Elchonon said “For eighty dollars, every individual will have the Zechut (merit) to support the Yeshiva for one week.” In the 1930s, $80 was a lot of money and went a long way. Rav Elchonon gave a passionate appeal and the people were becoming inspired by his message and were ready to contribute generously.

However, the Rabbi of the shul was not that excited about having his members write checks for $80 each, for the Yeshiva. Therefore he got up to speak right after Rav Elchonon. The shul Rabbi spoke at length. The giving atmosphere, which Rav Elchonon had created, started to dissipate. The shul Rabbi’s punch-line was “even if you give a dollar to the Yeshiva, that itself is considered a huge and important donation.”

Obviously, after the congregation heard from their Rabbi that they could do the same mitzvah with only a small amount, Rav Elchonon’s yeshiva received almost nothing from that community. That night, the shul Rabbi went to where Rav Elchonon was staying and said to him, “I know you probably are upset at me about what happened in the shul and that you have complaints against me and my members.”

Rav Elchonon told him, “I have no complaints. Let’s look at Parshat Ki Tisa where the Torah writes: ‘Behold I have designated by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Chur.’ He is the one who is supposed to build the Mishkan. How was Moshe supposed to find this man, Bezalel out of few million people living in the wilderness? If he approached the Jews individually asking, ‘Are you Bezalel ben Uri ben Chur?’

When someone responded “No”, would Moshe have any complaints against him? Certainly not! He simply was not Bezalel. And so he was not the one who was chosen by Hashem to build the Mishkan. It is not a matter of being offended by the fact; it’s just that he was not THAT individual.

Likewise, Hashem said that my Yeshiva would have supporters. Who are they? Obviously, Not your shul and not you. So you are not Bezalel in this case, but I cannot have complaints against you. It is just obvious that you are not the person or the community that Hashem has chosen to support my Yeshiva. Someone else will have that merit in Olam Haba, the World To Come. I cannot be upset or offended that this person is somewhere else and not here within your members.”

One needs to have a Zechut [Merit] to be able to give to a trustworthy organization. If one does not have that zechut, it is not the collector’s problem and he should not feel offended by it.