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By Shneur Zalman Berger, Beis Moshiach

The article about the fundraising for Colel Chabad for the poor of Eretz Yisrael made some people wonder: How was money raised from Russian Jews who were scattered over thousands of miles in innumerable towns? How was the money that was collected sent to the poor of Eretz Yisrael when there were no bank transfers?

Space is not sufficient to cover all aspects of the fundraising in those years, starting from the lifetime of the Alter Rebbe down till our time. For the meantime, we will cover the topic of tzedaka boxes that are called “pushkas” (lit. boxes) which for over two hundred years were the cutting edge in collecting donations. These boxes, which are a part of every Jewish home and many businesses, were the invention of the Mitteler Rebbe. With these small boxes, prodigious sums were raised to provide for the Chassidim who lived in Eretz Yisrael in penury.

IN THE BEGINNING

It all began in 5537/1777, 245 years ago. That year, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk wanted to move to Eretz Yisrael. He was joined by his colleague/student, the Alter Rebbe. Both of them were prominent disciples of the Mezritcher Maggid, one the senior member of the group and one the youngest of the group. The two men were accompanied by a group of hundreds of Chassidim who began the long, exhausting journey to Eretz Yisrael. While traveling, it was decided that the Alter Rebbe would not continue but would remain in Russia to lead the Chassidim in that country.

The financial situation of R’ Menachem Mendel and the people who arrived in Eretz Yisrael with him was abysmal. Starvation and hardship were their standard fare. At a certain point, they sent the Chassid, R’ Yisrael Polotzker abroad to raise funds for the Chassidim in Eretz Yisrael.

After a lengthy and difficult journey, R’ Yisrael arrived in Russia. The Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Yissochor Ber, rav of the town of Lubavitch, helped him collect funds.

The Rebbe meeting with the Chief Rabbis of Israel. On the desk on the left is a pushka for Colel Chabad.

In a letter that they sent, the three decreed that every person send a set amount each week to “Kupas Eretz HaKodesh.” They even decreed a gezeiras na’cha’sh (excommunication) on anyone who even borrowed money from the funds collected for Eretz Yisrael. Special emissaries who arrived once a year would go around to the towns and villages and even tiny hamlets to collect the money that had accumulated over the year.

This letter, which is the first in the Igros Kodesh of the Alter Rebbe (not to be confused with Iggeres HaKodesh in Tanya), was written about the year 5541, 241 years ago. From this letter we would likely conclude that “Kupas Eretz HaKodesh” refers to the fact that every household would have a pushka in which donations would be placed from time to time.

Rabbi Amram Blau, Chassidic researcher, in his research about tzedaka pushkas of Colel Chabad maintains that the letter was more likely written a few years later and the “kupa” referred to was not for the home but a pushka belonging to the shliach of Colel Chabad who collected the money. He maintains that the instruction to put a pushka in every house came from the Mitteler Rebbe in a letter that he wrote several years after the passing of the Alter Rebbe as will be related here.

In subsequent years, the administration of the fundraising fell exclusively to the Alter Rebbe who invested prodigious efforts in raising funds via itinerant fundraisers. He also sent many letters for the purpose of expanding the circle of donors as well as the levels of the donations.

The most familiar letter to us is printed in chapter 21 of Iggeres HaKodesh in Tanya. Here is the first part:

“ … to the people who willingly volunteer to practice the righteous charitability of G‑d toward His Holy Land by giving every year a set sum of money for [the inhabitants of] our Holy Land (may it be rebuilt and established speedily, in our days!), ‘may my word [call] to them’ and ‘my speech trickle like dew’ in order to bestir those who are [naturally] swift, for “One hurries only the swift,” and to strengthen weak hands, for their unquestioned willingness is hampered only by their poverty, so that they should contribute moneys for the Land of Israel every week, or at least every month, from the amount assigned for the year, proportionately, as well as all the ‘dedicated money’ that each individual was inspired to donate annually (without a vow) for the support of our brethren who live in the Holy Land.”

Rabbi Eliyahu Yochil Simpson, one of the prominent Chabad rabbanim in America, later to be the gabbai of the Rebbe Rayatz, sending donations to Colel Chabad from his shul in Boro Park.

BOOKKEEPING

The notebook was the most important tool of a shadar (shlucha d’rabbanan = itinerant fundraiser). Every shadar had a notebook in which he wrote the names of donors and the amount that they had pledged. This notebook went wherever he went. The book was signed by those in charge of receiving the funds, along with letters of commendation attesting to the reliability of the shadar.

In order to hasten the giving of tzedaka and the raising of funds, the Rebbe would provide the shadar with a letter or send special letters ahead of time to communities of Anash in which he urged the Chassidim to open their hearts and wallets.

The sums donated by the Chassidim of the Alter Rebbe for the Chassidim of Eretz Yisrael were the main pillar of the donations that were distributed among the Chassidim in Eretz Yisrael. Thanks to these donations, they were saved from starvation and could immerse themselves in Torah and avoda.

A PUSHKA NEAR THE TABLE

After the passing of the Alter Rebbe, the economic situation of Russian Jews deteriorated. The Franco-Russian War caused chaos on the roads, a downturn in commerce and a massive economic collapse which affected many Jewish businessmen. The immediate result was a diminishing of the donations made to Colel Chabad. The weekly donation ceased to exist.

The Mitteler Rebbe who continued to support the poor of Eretz Yisrael as he stood at the helm of Colel Chabad, came up with an idea: daily small donations that would be placed in a tzedaka box near the table where people ate.

This what the Mitteler Rebbe wrote to his Chassidim:

“Therefore I have said to issue a call to the beloved of my soul that they should heed my trusted counsel in this, in a manner that it not be burdensome to you. Namely, that which is already done in all the countries of Volhynia and Ukraine and Poland and also in our country in a few places, i.e. placing pushkas, and it is a thing of great counsel and wisdom.”

The Mitteler Rebbe wrote that he considered this idea a good one especially when a pushka in the house enables one to give tzedaka at all times:

“The foundation and root of tzedaka is that it is at all times. Especially when eating morning and evening, as soon he sets his table, each person should put something in the pushka attached to the wall next to the table specifically, either two small (coins) or one small (coin) [katan or ketanim in the original – meaning one or two kopeks. 100 kopeks is one ruble.] before sitting down to eat the morning meal and also the evening meal. Also the guests at his table should give, each according to the giving of his hand and according to his standard, ‘and a man’s gift will expand for him.’”

The tziyun of the Alter Rebbe

The Mitteler Rebbe elaborates on how great tzedaka is when given in secret:

“Therefore, every ardent man will take to heart to atone for his soul from his table by this secret giving and sweeten all judgments upon him.” Later in the letter he warns against taking loans from this money, and ends off that he put a pushka in his home in Lubavitch too for Colel Chabad:

“I’ve already done so in my home too, and all of the people of our town saw and did the same, and so too, they [pushkas] are in every city and town.”

He also asked the Chassidim to put a small pushka in every home for oil to be lit at his father’s resting place in Haditch. [Igros Kodesh of the Mitteler Rebbe, letter 21]

During the following years, the Mitteler Rebbe continued to write and urge concerning the pushkas, stating how much money ought to be in the pushka by the end of the year: For the wealthy – three silver rubles; for the average person – a silver ruble; for those of limited means a quarter to half a silver ruble. [Igros Kodesh of the Mittler Rebbe (new edition), letter 35]

Colel Chabad, which served as the primary fund to aid the Jews of Eretz Yisrael was established in an organized way during the reign of the Mitteler Rebbe. The money was collected and distributed to Chabad Chassidim in Eretz Yisrael.

During the nesius of the next Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek continued to urge Chassidim to donate to Colel Chabad for Chassidim in Eretz Yisrael. In a letter devoted to the topic of Colel Chabad, he mentions what the previous Admorim said about pushkas and concluded:

“The main thing is to affix closed pushkas and to gather bit-by-bit every week and at least once a month and what is missing according to the takana (i.e. the individual assigned totals) should be filled in by each person monthly so that it won’t be burdensome at the end of the year. And to appoint distinguished people over this, who have the proper insight and strength to supervise magnanimously, truthfully and wholeheartedly, that they fulfill all the above-mentioned takanos.” [Igros Kodesh Admor Tzemach Tzedek, letter 20]

The money collected by special shadarim was given to the Tzemach Tzedek and he sent it to Chevron where the main Chabad community in Eretz Yisrael was at that time. The money was sent with specific instructions for distribution set out by the Rebbe himself.

Among the names listed of those who dealt with this we can see how valuable the Rebbeim considered the work of fundraising and support of the poor. Those who were involved in this holy work alongside the Tzemach Tzedek were no less than his uncle Rabbi Chaim Avrohom, son of the Alter Rebbe and his brother-in-law R’ Menachem Nachum, son of the Mitteler Rebbe.

Aside from them, the Tzemach Tzedek appointed a “general gabbai for the money for Eretz Yisrael” with the first being the gaon, Rabbi Nechemia of Dubrovna, one of the great Chabad Chassidim of that time.

The Rebbe Rashab continued to encourage the affixing of tzedaka pushkas and even appointed gabbaim to collect money every month so that the money would be ready for the shadar who would come and take the money to Eretz Yisrael. The Rebbe Rashab asked all the Chassidim, including those who did not have a pushka until then, to have such a pushka in their homes. Interestingly, the Rebbe Rashab would sometimes refer to the pushka as a “shofar.”

The Rebbe’s handwritten response to a question about pushkas for Colel Chabad

SUPPORT FOR WAR REFUGEES

At the end of World War II, many Chabad Chassidim left Russia and Europe and moved to Eretz Yisrael as refugees. Many of them had nothing. They were welcomed by people from Agudas Chassidei Chabad who received monetary assistance from Colel Chabad for the refugee Chassidim.

In the months to come, many of the Chassidim settled in Kfar Chabad and the outskirts of Lud.

The Rebbe Rayatz came to their aid by sending a special letter a few days before his passing, on 21 Teves 5710, in which he encouraged the Chassidim to keep a pushka, the “shofar” of Colel Chabad, in their house.

“With every term of endearment and request I hereby turn with my great request to all of Anash, in all of their dispersed locations, to increase efforts to aid our holy kollel, for each person to have a shofar Rabi Meir Baal HaNes of Colel Chabad in his house, and to work and mobilize their mekuravim for this great and holy mitzva of tzedaka.

“Every gabbai of the kollel and his friends, all the donors and all our Anash friends wherever they are, should focus their minds to their great obligation at this time towards our holy kollel and to increase exertion, intensified great deeds and expansive enlarged aid, to give to our holy kollel the ability to fulfill its function.” [Igros Kodesh Admor Rayatz vol. 10, letter 3678]

THE ONLY PUSHKA ON THE REBBE’S DESK

The Rebbe, upon accepting the Chabad leadership also accepted the nesius of Colel Chabad. A year after accepting the nesius, the Rebbe sent a letter to Chabad Chassidim in which he referred directly to the importance of a pushka in every Chassidishe home:

“Those who for whatever reason still do not have a shofar Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes Colel Chabad in their home should hasten and put one up in their home. All those who possess shofaros of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes Colel Chabad and the gabbaim of the kollel, its members, doers and collectors, each one (male and female) of them should increase exertion in his aid to Colel Chabad so that the kollel can fulfill its mandate and function as fitting the needs of the hour.”

The Rebbe also added special blessings for all donors and those who work on behalf of the kollel:

“Great is this tzedaka to arouse supernal chessed to draw down upon each one of those who do it bountiful blessings with which to bless them and their households with all that they need, materially and spiritually. With blessing for material and spiritual good.” [Igros Kodesh vol. 4, letter 921]

The Rebbe also cited in one of his letters that it is a good practice for Jewish women and girls to give tzedaka to Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes before lighting Shabbos candles. [Igros Kodesh vol. 4, letter 1626]

The gaon Rabbi Chaim Naeh cites in his sefer Ketzos HaShulchan that the practice of giving tzedaka before lighting Shabbos candles to the pushka of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes for the Jews of Eretz Yisrael, had become widespread.

A handwritten response from the Rebbe about the importance of pushkas for the kollel: “In response to his writing about the pushkas – the question is a wonder in the wake of the urging of each and every one of Rabboseinu Nesieinu. And fortunate is the one who expends efforts on this, the doer and one who gets others to do.”

On the Rebbe’s desk in “gan eden ha’elyon” there is one pushka, that of Colel Chabad. Interestingly, whenever they produced a new pushka, occasionally with a more modern look, it would replace the old pushka on the Rebbe’s desk. Rabbi Sholom Duchman, director of Colel Chabad, said that the Rebbe’s pushka filled up often and the Rebbe would send the money to Colel Chabad.

R’ Duchman spoke about the special regard the Rebbe had for Colel Chabad. The Rebbe guided the directors of Colel Chabad at every step and in every move. Every publication or resolution was first sent to the Rebbe for his approval. Regularly, sometimes a few times a week, the Rebbe sent donations to the kollel. It was usually a check for $100.

Today, too, Colel Chabad supports many Jews in Eetz Yisrael and not only Chabad Chassidim. The organization sends food packages, founded a network of daycare centers and soup kitchens and founded a section called “Chessed Menachem Mendel,” which helps families of widows and orphans and arranges a festive bar mitzva every year for orphans. All in all, a wonderful and magnificent continuation of the nearly 250 years of chessed which began with the initiative and stewardship of the Alter Rebbe. ■

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