A Fundraisers Reward
‘Those Who Persuade Others To Give Charity Are Greater’
(Bava Basra 9a)
The Unique Merit Of Charity Collectors
Rabbi Elazar, on our daf, states that people who collect charity for the poor have a greater merit than those who actually give. Many commentators and poskim contrast this statement with one made by Rabbi Abahu (Sanhedrin 99b): “If someone convinces another person to do a mitzvah, the Torah regards him as having done it himself.” This statement implies that the charity collector’s merit is equal to, not greater than, that of the donor’s.
Two Degrees Of Giving Charity
Mahari Kurkus (Hilchos Matenos Aniyim 10:6) and Prishah (Yoreh De’ah 249:5) reconcile this discrepancy by positing two categories of donors: those who give willingly and joyfully and those who must be beseeched. The former earn a tremendous reward while the latter receive a lesser reward. A charity collector who must intensively persuade someone to donate to a cause receives a greater reward than the donor.
Humiliation
Rabbi Yaakov Emden suggests that a collector’s reward is greater because he has to sometimes humiliate himself, groveling before reluctant donors. His personal effort is greater than the hardship of parting with one’s money. In his Chochmas Adam (Kelal 144:14), Rabbi Avraham Danzig asserts that collectors fulfill two mitzvos: supporting the indigent and enabling others to donate charity. The Chofetz Chayim (Ahavas Chesed 2:16) maintains that a collector’s reward is greater since he causes many people to perform mitzvos.
Must Everyone Be A Fundraiser?
Nesivos Hamishpat (72, s.k. 19) explains that although everyone must give charity, not everyone must collect. Only the beis din of a community must see to it that everyone gives and, if need be, appoint gabbaim to oblige those who can to give more. Still, those who voluntarily give of their time to lead charitable campaigns earn a unique merit. The Aruch Hashulchan (Yoreh De’ah 247:5) notes that, according to a reliable tradition, collectors of charity for the poor save their offspring and future generations from needing to resort to charity themselves.
Being Discreet
In his Mateh Efrayim (427:3), Rabbi Efrayim Zalman Margolios stresses that a collector must persuade potential donors as discreetly as possible. He therefore admonishes gabba’im who stand at the entrance of shuls on erev Yom Kippur asking for donations, sometimes telling congregants: “A person like you should give more!” He also relates that chazzanim used to put collection boxes in shul before services for congregants to contribute so that they would pray wholeheartedly for the community. He strongly disapproves of this custom because some chazzanim became bitter at the paltry sums donated. He writes, though, that “as they have made it a custom, who can do away with it?” He suggests instead that the boxes have lids to prevent chazzanim from seeing how much people contribute.