In an uplifting ceremony, Maran, Posek Hador, Hagaon Harav Moshe Shterenbuch shlit”a, handed out envelopes withKimcha Depischa to the 180 Avreichim enrolled in Kollel Teshuvos Vehanhagos that he heads. Rav Shterenbuch explained his personal concern by telling a spine-tingling story that he heard about eighty years ago from Hagaon Rav Yechezkel Abramsky Zatzal, a story that reveals the extent of the responsibility one has at every step when it comes to the great mitzvah of Tzedakah.

In the middle of Pesach preparations, there was the inauguration of the distribution set-up for Kimcha Depischa of Posek Hador, Hagaon Rav Moshe Shterenbuch shlit”a, with him personally handing out the much needed support for Pesach to the 180 avreichim of the Teshuvos Vehanhagos kollel. The current distribution is just the opening shot of a broad set-up that Rav Shterenbuch initiates every year, which includes supporting hundreds of avreichim who are his students, additional support to all the rabbonim and the morei tzedek of the Eidah Charedis, along with support to the Rebbis of his yeshiva in Beit Shemesh, and a tremendous amount of aid to many tzedakah funds in Eretz Yisroel and abroad.

Particularly in this immense project, what was very notable was Rav Shterenbuch’s insistence on standing himself and giving the envelopes to the avreichim who are close to his heart, whom he draws close to himself as if they were his own sons, especially since beforehand he had given a halachic discourse at the end of the zman. Those present at the time did not avoid asking the Rov why the Rav wasn’t saving himself the trouble, especially when one considers the heavy load that he carries these days, which includes, among other things, writing letters to the greatest Tomchei Torah of the Torah world.

Rav Moshe replied with an amazing story he heard from the gaon Reb Yechezkel Abramsky ZATZAL, a story that provides one with a different outlook on the meaning of every mitzvah – even the tiniest one: “Hagaon Rav Yechezkel Abramsky, told me that he was once in Vilna, and he went to see the ledger of the Chevra Kadisha, and saw that there was a story written there about the wife of the Gra (the Vilna Gaon, who Reb Moshe himself is a grandson of), who used to go with a friend of hers to gather money for tzedakah for the needy people of Vilna. At one point they made an agreement that whoever dies first of the two of them will come to the other in a dream to tell her what happens in the Next World, the Olam Haemes, and how the ultimate din is handled there.

Years went by, and the friend has passed away first. After a while she appeared in a dream to the Gra’s wife, saying that it was impossible to describe how important every little deed of ours is in the Next World, and she does not have permission to reveal what goes on there, but since she had promised faithfully, she was permitted to tell one detail. And then she said: ‘Do you remember when we were on a certain street in Vilna, and we saw a poor man on the other side of the street, and I motioned to him to cross the street and I will give him some money, and I gave it to him and he was happy. You should know that in Shamayim they accused me of not making the effort to cross the street to earn the mitzvah of going to the poor man rather than having him come to me, because that showed a degree of belittlement of the mitzvahs; the depth of the din is fearsome.’ In the morning, the Gra’s wife told the Gra of her dream. The Gra called in the Chevra Kadisha people, so that they will hear her story and write it down in their ledger so that it will be seen for generations and people will give some thought to the depth of the din.

They wrote there ‘Upon the order of the Gra we are bringing her story.’ Rabbi Abramsky zt”l added to me that since then, whenever he mails money to a needy person or to an institution, he doesn’t send a messenger to the post office as he used to do, rather, he takes the trouble to go himself and place it in a mailbox, so as not to miss the Zchus of physically performing the mitzvah of tzedakah.”

The moving message from the Posek Hador shlit”a was clear and sharp: When it comes to the mitzvah of tzedakah there is no substitute for the personal labor, and every small effort is calculated and measured. For Rav Sheterenbuch, the personal distribution is not only a technical act of giving money, but a rare opportunity to perform a mitzvah perfectly, with one’s body and no regard for personal honor, no concessions allowed.

In the coming days the Rov will distribute more money to needy families and avreichim, as part of the greater program, among them “tamchin deoraisa” to hundreds of rabbonim and poskim, special distributions to the rabbonim of his yeshiva in Beit Shemesh, and further activity to many tzedakah funds.