בס׳ד

"Where does it say that you have a contract with G-d to have an easy life?"

the Lubavitcher Rebbe



"Failure is not the enemy of success; it is its prerequisite."

Rabbi Nosson Scherman



3 Mar 2009

The Solution to the Recession


Along with the weekly Hamodia, I received the Kupat Ha'ir brochure, with its appeal for tzedaka for the poor to be distributed on Purim. In the brochure was a paragraph entitled, "The Solution to the Recession."
"Precisely now is the time to give," Rav Chaim (Kanievsky) said. "A time of tzarah is the time to give more! One must give tzedakah in order that his money increase, as it is written, 'bechanenuni na bezos'. The solution to the recession is to give tzedakah to a worthy organization to Kupat Hair - that is how one's assets will increase."

Rabbi Wallerstein spoke last week about the solution to the recession. To listen click here.
Basically he said that if you want a segulah for the recession, go to a Jewish bookstore and buy a book on the laws of giving charity and start studying the laws. He says that if you believe that you don't have money, then it will happen. Conversely, if you believe that Hashem runs the world and that Hashem decreed your parnassah at the beginning of the year, then you show Hashem that you don't believe in the recession. By believing that money comes from Hashem, that Hashem runs the world and that you don't put your faith in the economy or the stock market, then you can have success.

TheYeshivaWorld posted an article about the "Survivng the Recession" event, hosted in Brooklyn this past Sunday. Allow me to quote Rabbi Paysach Krohn's words.

"In dealing with today’s recession, Rabbi Krohn had a formula for meeting the crisis in ways which would strengthen us and bring us closer to Hashem. Firstly, he stressed the need to Daven each day for Parnassa, and to include in our Tefillos other people that need a Yeshua as well. Hashem wants to hear from us, and perhaps we were to complacent in the “years of plenty,” said Rabbi Krohn. He also urged people to Bentch from a Siddur, as the Sefer Hachinuch says that whoever does so will never have to worry about sustenance. During Davening, we are supposed to give Tzeddakah during the Tefillah of “Vayivarech David.” Reb Yaakov Kaminetzky once explained that the reason we stand during this Tefillah is in honor of the Tzedakah that is given during its recitation. Our money is temporary, Rabbi Krohn continued, and the only way to hold onto it is by giving to others. The Hebrew word “V’Nosnu” is a palindrome, which means that it spells the same word backwards and forwards. This teaches us that if we give, we’ll get it back. Rabbi Krohn told the remarkable story of a man who lost fortunes by investing in Bear Sterns , and upon hearing of his losses, wrote a check for Tzeddakah that was twice as much as his usual donation. “I need all the Zechusim I can get,” explained this special man. Rabbi Krohn also reminded people to help out their family members in need, and to move beyond any grudges or arguments from their past. Maintaining a low profile is crucial, he continued. Conspicuous consumption leads to anti-semitism, jealousy, and Ayin Hara, all of which can exacerbate the current crisis. After 120, the first question we will be asked is whether we were honest in business. Rabbi Krohn stressed the need to be unwaveringly honest in all our ventures. The channels of Parnassah are destroyed when there is no Ahavas Yisrael. In order for Mashiach to come, we need to band together as a result of these hard times, Rabbi Krohn emphasized."

May we all be zocheh to parnassah berevach.

3 comments:

  1. I have been more careful giving maaser since the financial crisis began as I realize how easily money can be lost. But, at least the zechut of giving tzedakah can never be lost.

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  2. More easily said than done I suppose , but I concur with the idea of giving charity to one's best ability even when times are dire. Whether or not this constitutes a solution to the recession remains to be seen , but it is definitely a noble start.

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  3. The primary economic weapon in turning the tide of recession is increasing spending. To the extent that charity injects more money into the economy it should have a positive effect in stimulating commerce and turning things around.

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