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| Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Matzav) |
Kupat Ha’ir is a legitimate charity that supports the poor of Bnei Brak. There are a lot of poor people in that city. Which should not surprise anybody considering the circumstances. This city of Torah is the epicenter of a philosophy that promotes the idea of Torah study from just about cradle to grave if at all possible. Young people are asked to sacrifice a lot in order to do that. They are encouraged to live as modestly as they can, have large families and rely on help from others. Others - like parents, in-laws, government stipends, free loan funds, and charity if necessary.
The reality is that many (most?) people in this community do not end up learning Torah full time for their entire lives. They eventually end up going to work. A few will find great success and make a lot of money. A few others will find jobs where they can at least support their families with the help of working wives. But a lot will not find the kind of jobs where they can earn enough even when their wives work. (Why that is the case is beyond the scope of this post.)
Then there are those whose jobs are so low paying that they must rely on all the above mentioned resources with charity being a major portion of it just to survive. And at the very bottom end of the truly needy are widows, children, and those that are unable to work for a variety of reasons. Kupat Ha’ir helps in all of these situations.
So in this sense Kupat Ha’ir is a worthy organization. They have an annual budget of 31 million of New Israel Shekel just for food packages. Which is only one area of many they serve.
But as I have mentioned in the past, I find some of their fundraising techniques to be extremely unethical. Almost akin to stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Only in the case of Kupat Ha'ir the ‘rich’ they steal from are not always rich. In many cases they are ‘stealing’ from desperate people seeking help in personal areas of their lives.
The pitch is that a Gadol or 2 (or 40 as the case may be) will pray for you personally in order to resolve your problem – IF... you give them a donation. Usually it is a specific amount to which they attach to some Kabalistic significance.
Sometimes it is advertised as praying at the Kotel at a propitious time. Or at the gravesite of some past religious figure. Other campaigns preyed on people that have desperately been seeking Shiduchim. Or seeking to have children after trying for years.
I have seen ads featuring people who ‘swear’ that they were cured from terminal illness by giving money to Kupat Ha’ir. Claiming that salvation came immediately after that great rabbi (or rabbis) concluded their prayer (or series of prayers). Or claiming that a successful Shiduch was made right after they donated and then prayed for by that great religious figure (or group of special rabbis). One campaign ad I saw had someone explaining how donating to Kupat Ha’ir enabled him to conduct a successful business venture and then having become very wealthy because of it. (I kid you not!)
But the latest ad campaign takes the cake. From Matzav, first the headline:
Worried About The Coronavirus? This Is Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s Advice
After listing some common sense medical advice the ad said the following:
The rabbanim chime in, however, with another form of spiritual hishtadlus: Giving tzedaka to help those who are ill.
“My father, my teacher the Sar HaTorah shlita said that all those who donate a tangible sum to the Kupat Hair fund … will merit, measure for measure, that he will not be ill and there will be no illness in his home.
Signing in honor of the great mitzvah,
Yitzchok Shul Kanievsky son of HaGaon Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita”
Donations made to a Kupat Ha’Ir fund will go toward poor Jewish families affected by illness. Now is a particularly urgent time, as many are hastily preparing for Purim and Pesach, and simultaneously struggling to afford life-saving treatments. This, midah k’neged midah, is part of your hishtadlus for your own health.
All donors will be davened for by Rav Chaim Kanievsky every Erev Shabbos before candle lighting.
It seems that even at age 92, Rav Kanievsky’s name comes up in every single one of their ad campaigns. I’m sure Rav Kanievsky supports the fine charity work they do. He probably allowed them to use his name. He might even mention some names when he prays. But I can’t believe he mentions all the names of the people that send in donations as a result of the multitude of ad campaigns Kupat Ha’ir has had. But even if he does. It is beyond disgusting to use the fear many people have about getting sick as a fundraising gimmick. (I wonder how much Rav Kanievsky even knows about this tactic.)
I recall a few years ago that this kind of fund raising tactic was condemned by some prominent Charedi Rabbonim. A lot of us thought that this might end it.
It has apparently not even made a dent. In fact it seems to have only increased. This tactic must raise a lot of money. But what a disgusting way to do it!