"Those Who Live In The Holy Land"
(Picture courtesy of the AP)Me'am Loez, Parshas Lech Lecha:
"Hashem decreed that those who live in the Holy Land suffer. They suffer because of crowding, because of the rulers of the land, because of hunger, and because of want. Few are the years when such troubles do not exist... We who live in other places, and do not merit to make aliya to Eretz Yisroel, have an obligation to help those who live in the Holy Land, so that they can live in peace. When we make it possible for them to pray, our prayers our also accepted. When we do not help them, they are persecuted by the government there."
"We must constantly keep the people who live in Eretz Yisroel in mind, since this is the place where our ancestors are buried. If Jews did not live there, the gentiles would come and dig up the ancient graves, plowing over the graves of tzaddikim who are buried there. We must also be concerned with the ancient synagogues and Torahs that are there. Since so much of our history is tied up with the Holy Land, each individual should support it to the best of his ability."
11 Comments:
What organizations do you recommend we support? Where's the best place to send our ma'aser money to?
Cheers!
Eizer L'Shabbos
there are many worthy charities in israel: meir panim, yad ezra v'shulamit. there are special schools and moshavim that help orphan children, and children with various disabilities. look on the net and see which ones touch your heart and give there. tzedaka/charity for the land of israel is a very high mitzvah and helps the whole world.
However, let's not forget that the biggest help is to make aliya; thus sharing not only the trials of living in Israel, but the joy and the Jewish pride as well!
--Shifra
I wrote about aliya and Avraham Avinu in my new A7 blog, but nobody seemed to have gotten it.
Are there any funds that are used to protect kivrey tzadikim against the regime?
I hate to say this, but to what extent are the tzedaka organizations actually (unintentionally) perpetuating the poverty in EY? Surely resources should also be directed to alleviating the causes of the poverty, like lack of education, entrepreneurial spirit, etc?
Dov Yehuda: If I know that a person is starving, I leave the question you posed up to the academics and in the meantime I send in another tzedakah check.
ASJ,
For example, we should give money to help the people who were displaced form Gush Katif. But there are others who try to get at the cause as well, like "Job Katif." They are a good cause as well because they "teach a man to fish." But our support of organizations like "Job Katif" shouldn't detract from helping Jews in need.
-Dixie Yid
ASJ, I am *not* using this as an excuse not to give, C"V! When the elders of Chelm employ doctors to work at the bottom of the faulty bridge, they indeed have to heal the injured. However, where are the voices of all the machers when it comes to actually fixing it? And what are small constibutors like us to do, when because we help the doctors, we let chachmei Chelm completerly off the hook?
Dov: Come here, start a business, and employ people! You'd be most welcome!
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