Sharing Is Caring
A wealthy man wished to distribute his money to tzedakah. He asked after the names of the city’s institutions, so that he could know where to turn. At first, my Yetzer Hara suggested that I name only my institutions, ignoring the rest. But, on second thought, I felt uncomfortable doing this. I decided to tell him about a number of worthy institutions in the city with which I am personally acquainted, but disregard mentioning that there are others of which I am unaware.
With chasdei Shamayim, I was able to overcome my Yetzer Hara. I realized that the correct thing to do was to tell him about all of the city’s institutions. This was a matter of the Torah’s honor, and it was forbidden to be silent now. Whatever would increase the glory of Torah was imperative.
I told the man about all of the city’s institutions. The man was distinctly delighted that he could help many places with his wealth. And I was pleased that I had succeeded in overpowering my inclination to keep the funds for myself.
