Donate to Yeshivot or to Kiruv?
(from the book "טובך יביעו")
There was a very wealthy man, Mr. Levy, who gave many thousands of dollars to charity every year, to different yeshivahs. One day he was approached by a man, Yossi, whose organization does kiruv, reaching out to many non-observant Jews to teach them and hopefully draw them to Torah observance. Yossi asked Mr. Levy if he could also donate to
his organization as he so generously does to the yeshivahs. Yossi tried to convince Mr. Levy of the importance of kiruv charity being more important than yeshiva charity. Yossi continued by telling him that teaching those with little or no background in Torah is more critical than people already in yeshivahs that are already observing the Torah. Mr. Levy decided to ask Rav Shteinman:
Should he split his donations, giving to both the yeshivahs and now kiruv organizations also?
his organization as he so generously does to the yeshivahs. Yossi tried to convince Mr. Levy of the importance of kiruv charity being more important than yeshiva charity. Yossi continued by telling him that teaching those with little or no background in Torah is more critical than people already in yeshivahs that are already observing the Torah. Mr. Levy decided to ask Rav Shteinman:
Should he split his donations, giving to both the yeshivahs and now kiruv organizations also?Answer:
Rav Shteinman zt"l: Continue exactly as you have been doing up to now donating only to yeshivahs. Where do you think the spirit of chazarah betshuva comes from? The source is coming from the merit of Torah scholars who are learning. If the scholars wouldn’t learn then the people doing kiruv wouldn’t succeed.
(D.K- Similarly, Rav Salanter once said, that because of a Jew who is learning in one part of the world, an assimilated Jew in Paris will start lighting Shabbos candles.)
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Story about Rav Shteinman zt”l
A problem in the classroom
(from Kids Speak 9, Chaim Walder)
When Rivka’s family moved to a new town, her parents enrolled her in the girls’ school. Being new in the school and starting the 5th grade weren’t the only challenges that Rivka faced; since birth she had c.p and was confined to a wheelchair. She also had difficulty keeping her neck and facial muscles straight.
Sadly, many (but not all) of the girls in the class teased her and mocked her because of her handicap. Kindly (and heartbroken) Morah Bracha spoke to the girls and even to the principal but was unsuccessful in stopping the bullying and cruelty of some of the girls towards Rivka. Eventually Rivka refused to go to school anymore.
A few days later, Morah Bracha walked into the class in the morning and told the girls to take out their Chumashim instead of their siddurim, as they always do. The girls asked their Morah why they aren’t taking out their siddurim. Morah Bracha told them- “I was so saddened and disturbed by the behavior in this class, and Rivka’s subsequent departure, that I and my husband paid a visit to Rav Shteinman. He told us that I should not lead the girls in davening because Hashem would not want to hear the davening of girls capable of such cruelty”.
Upon hearing this, that the Gadol Hador said that Hashem does not want to hear their prayers, many girls began to cry from sorrow and shame. They told the teacher that they want to do teshuvah and decided to write a letter of apology to Rivka and promise to never repeat their bad behavior again.
Rivka returned to the class and from then on was treated very nicely. She even became good friends with the girls in the class -thanks to Rav Shteinman’s help
