Making Good on a Bad Check

A generous benefactor from Venezuela sent a check for NIS 21,502 to Yad L’Achim – the exact amount the countermissionary organization recently refused to accept because it had come from missionary sources.

“I was very moved to hear that you rejected the contribution, despite the fact that these are such hard times, because you didn’t want to take money from missionaries – even to fight them,” the benefactor told Rabbi Sholom Dov Lipshitz, chairman of Yad L’Achim, over the phone. “I couldn’t remain indifferent, so please accept my contribution for the exact sum you gave up.”

The story began a few weeks ago, with the Netzarim Development Fund, which helps Jews who were expelled from their homes in Gush Katif during the disengagement. A missionary group decided to “adopt” these Jews, who are still living in temporary homes, and transferred a sum of NIS 21,502 directly to the fund’s account.

When the fund’s directors learned that missionaries had made the deposit, they made the courageous decision not to derive any benefit from it. Indeed, acting on the advice of their Rav, Rabbi Yaakov Lanzer, who had consulted with Harav Shlomo Aviner, they sent the check to Yad L’Achim so that the money would not only fail to advance the agenda of the missionaries, but would be used to foil them. But Rabbi Lipshitz refused to accept the check.

Responding to the generous contribution from the Venezuelan benefactor, Rabbi Lipshitz said: “It is ironic that there are Jews who believe with all their hearts that Hakadosh Baruch Hu provides sustenance, but they seek to, as if, ‘assist’ Him in this by taking money from dubious sources and missionaries.

“The moving contribution we received from Venezuela proves the words of our Holy Torah, ‘Is the hand of Hashem too short [limited]” to provide? Anyone with eyes in his head can see that Hakadosh Baruch Hu finds the way to help those in need, as long as they don’t turn to nonkosher sources and accept money from missionaries, which only strengthens them.”