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20 Ellul 5762 - August 28, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Opinion & Comment
Zeman Tefilloh Lechud Uzeman Tzedokoh Lechud

by Martin D. Stern

Dear Chaim,

Many thanks for your letter which arrived two weeks ago. I must apologize for the delay in my reply, but I have been out of town on business and only came back just before Shabbos.

At this time of the year we all try to accumulate extra mitzvos and give extra tzedokoh but I think you were quite right to be upset over that incident with the meshullach; unfortunately it was not so atypical. After all, he should have seen that you had just put on your tefillin shel yad and were about to put on your shel rosh; a donation for his yeshiva could have waited an extra minute.

A similar thing happened to me once when I was about to say Shema with my hand over my eyes and someone shouted "hachnosas kallah" down my ear; it completely destroyed my kavonoh. Admittedly he would have had to wait a bit longer than in your case, but that hardly excuses such behavior.

We all realize the time constraints meshullachim work under, but that does not justify soliciting funds at such inappropriate times. I consulted our rov about this some years ago and he assured me that there is no obligation to interrupt one's tefilloh for them. We say in our yomim noraim davening, "Uteshuvoh utefilloh utzedokoh, ma'avirin es ro'a hagezeroh -- repentance, prayer and charity annul the evil decree" but, to paraphrase Chazal, "Zeman tefilloh lechud uzeman tzedokoh lechud -- there is a time for prayer and a time for charity." I suppose that we must be grateful that not all meshullachim show so little sensitivity in these matters.

Of course if it were a case of pikuach nefesh it would be different but I have never seen anyone who was about to collapse from starvation collecting in shul. In such a situation a monetary donation would probably be too late and a gift of some food would be more appropriate. I wonder what would happen if one offered a particularly obstreperous meshullach a sweet to help him survive till the end of davening!

I once saw a gentleman who had a little card on his desk during davening which he pointed out to anyone who tried to talk to him. I think it read something like:

I have always wondered how this problem has come about. Perhaps it all goes back to when they were children and were encouraged to go round with a pushke during chazoras haShatz. Thank G-d we don't have that minhag in our shul but it is quite common, despite the fact that the Peri Megodim writes so strongly against it. It is not surprising that he would understand the bad effect it would have on children since he always described himself as a makrei dardekei, an elementary- school teacher.

I have seen quite often that people ask for change or even crack a joke with the child. Obviously children learn from this practice that chazoras haShatz is not so terribly important and one can talk then. They do not realize the severity of the prohibition which the Shulchan Oruch describes as, "Godol avono mineso -- his sin is greater than he can bear."

I suppose that for people who chat anyway, a charitable donation may be a palliative, a sort of pidyon for their aveiroh, but it can only be a second best to giving undivided attention to the shaliach tzibbur. However, the children should be told, in no uncertain terms, not to rattle the pushke, since this can be very distracting to those who are trying to concentrate. I have seen cases where the child has rattled it very noisily next to someone who had not even finished his quiet Shemoneh Esrei!

On the other hand where this custom is firmly established, it is difficult to abolish it. If everyone knows of it, they can have a coin ready in advance and avoid any distraction.

The same cannot be said of the many meshullachim who turn up. It would be best if a notice barring them at such times were put outside the shul door and the gabboim ensured that they did not disturb the mispalelim at such inappropriate times.

There is another custom of collecting after krias haTorah which is in my opinion infinitely preferable. One shul I went to on my business trips had this custom and it worked well for many years. Then they decided that they could raise more money by collecting every day. In order to avoid chazoras haShatz, they sent a child round during Ashrei on other days, despite the Pri Megodim's reservations. It did not take long before the children forgot the original custom and collected then even on Mondays and Thursdays.

I am sure the amount collected did not justify the disturbance caused. People do not realize the importance of Ashrei, whose recitation three times a day Chazal tell us assures us of a place in the World to Come.

One incident I witnessed struck me quite forcefully as to how this minhag taught the children not to appreciate the importance of tefillah. It happened one Sunday morning that one of them noticed that the pushke was not in its usual place, having been put away in the cupboard under the omud over Shabbos. He tried to extract it during chazoras haShatz, seeming not even to be aware that he might be disturbing the shaliach tzibbur in the middle of his davening.

Of course this observation does not apply to meshullachim who, in any case, do not come to daven. After all, they need some time in which to collect, and talking during Ashrei and Uvo leTsion is a less serious matter than during chazoras haShatz.

Similarly, one can hardly object to them collecting during Pesukei dezimroh especially since there is a custom, according to the Arizal, to give tzedokoh when one reaches Vayevorech Dovid. They should, however, realize that one cannot talk during Pesukei dezimroh, and always have change ready should someone not have available the precise amount he wishes to donate. I have not infrequently had problems with meshullachim who did not do so and could not understand why I had to gesture to them to that effect, demanding that I tell them verbally what I wanted even when I pointed into my siddur to show him why I was silent.

However, from Borechu until after chazoras haShatz, when one should have even greater concentration, it would be more appropriate if they desisted from disturbing the tzibbur.

Whether they should approach the shaliach tzibbur at all is another matter. After all, the latter is the agent of the congregation and should not interrupt his duties for any reason, any more than an employee may undertake personal affairs during work time.

Perhaps the answer to those who put giving money to charity above all else by saying, "Tzedokoh tatzil mimoves, charity saves from death," is that through tefillah one becomes a true ben Olam Habo, one who really merits eternal life.

Wishing you and all your family kesivoh vechasimoh tovoh,

Your friend

Moshe


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