When I meet
youngsters heading off to school in Israel, I give them a bracha: “May you be hungry and lost and in
desperate need of an invite, and may this suffering last for a full five
minutes, and may someone then come along and invite you.” During those precious
minutes, this young person will learn a valuable lesson. He or she will learn
what it feels like to be in need, something that those born with a silver spoon
in their mouth might not be aware of. Those few minutes can lead them to an
amazing resolve in life.
I want to propose
a new chesed program. Baltimore is
known as a city with a multitude of chesed
organizations, yet there is one profound mitzvah that is being overlooked in our community. Especially
now, when we are going through the current war in Israel, we are all aware that
chesed and Jewish unity will carry
the day.
Meshulachim, collectors, come
from Israel on a regular basis to solicit money. The problem is that they need a
place to sleep and finding places is very difficult – actually almost
impossible. I have been involved with this mitzvah for many years, and I want
to assure you that providing hachnasim orchim for meshulachim is one
of the easiest and most rewarding mitzvah
you can ever do.
We now have the
wonder of WhatsApp, with its ability to have a WhatsApp group. For those of you
who do not know what that is, let me explain: If you have a smartphone, you can
have an app called WhatsApp that can send and receive messages. (If you do not
have a smartphone, WhatsApp also works on a computer.) Groups can be formed so
that a message sent can go to every member of the group. Hence, if I send a
message that someone needs a place to stay, that message would be received by
every member of the group. Anyone can respond and say that the person can stay
with them. If no one responds, I could send a second message that would up the
request to a “SOS” category.
In order to host meshulachim on a regular basis, some
upfront preparation is needed. Let me lay out the details:
Basement: Meshulachim prefer a basement
with a private entrance. I think that would be the minimum standard needed. Providing
a room on the same floor as the family bedrooms is not preferable. This has
been my experience, and I think is actually an explicit pasuk. (Read, in Melachim 2 4:10, the Shunamite woman’s
description of what a hospitality room looks like.) If you have to enter the
main door to get to the steps leading to the basement, that is okay, too.
Bathroom: The basement would obviously need a
bathroom. A shower is nice but not critical. They can take a shower at the
mikveh, an option that is very available. So, any bathroom in the basement will
do.
Duration: Meshulachim typically stay for a
week – possibly shorter or longer, but you can assume a week.
Food: This is important: You do not need to provide food. There are
other options for food, but there are no other options for sleeping. You can
provide some food if you desire. Putting out drinks or fruit or snacks is
certainly very nice, but the lack of food is not a game stopper. A fridge in
the basement is nice, and a coffee set-up is a great touch.
Hours: Now for the biggest issue. Some hosts say
the following: You can come here for sleeping, but you cannot come during the
day. This is because, traditionally, the husband is not home and the wife is
home alone. Meshulachim prefer when they can come and take a nap.
However, if that is not allowed, they will still accept it as they need a place
to sleep at night. I would suggest that if this is an issue, the woman should
lock the door leading up from the basement (assuming that there is a door). Again,
if someone can take guests on the condition that they do not come in during the
day, that would still be very acceptable.
Safety concerns: Many people have asked me if it is
safe to host strangers. Let me answer: Yes!
Do not throw away this most amazing mitzvah
due to baseless suspicions. Just imagine if you were poor, and you or your
husband had to be a meshulach, and you come to a faraway country with
all the degradations of asking for money, and no one provides hospitality
because they think you are bad, and you have to sleep on a bench in shul. I
have done this mitzvah
countless times and never had a problem.
Trust me: If you
knew that a meshulach would be leaving a house gift of one million dollars in cash, you would jump at this opportunity
without worries. Your reward in olam habah will be far greater than one
million dollars.
Language barrier: What if I do not know Hebrew?
Answer: Learn Hebrew. If that is not an option, then they usually speak a
little English. But seriously, how can a Jew not know Hebrew? In what language
do you daven?
Location: Meshulachim seem to prefer
staying close to the Agudah of Park Heights. However, at this point in this
project, I will take options in any location. Often a meshulach has his
own rental car and can get around.
How to start: Here in Baltimore, there are thousands of frum
homes, and the vast majority have basements. You might need to buy a bed
and clean things up. However, you will be entering into a new realm of
existence. Your house is now a major chesed center. This should give you
the impetus to attack clutter and rearrange the basement. Go for it.
Fringe benefit: When you get your basement “ready
to go,” you will receive a second benefit. You will be able to host your
neighbors’ relatives when they visit town and need a place. And, for that
matter, you will have a place for your own house guests as well.
Making aliyah: If you are living in Baltimore, it is
axiomatic that you are not performing the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael.
However, it is a well-known Torah teaching
that helping another Jew do a mitzvah
is even greater than doing it yourself! So it seems to me that, if
you help a Jew live in Israel while you live in Baltimore, you get an even
greater mitzvah of yishuv Eretz Yisrael then one who lives there! Wow!
If you are
convinced and want to join, please email me. Remember, you can decide later if
you want to host someone on any given week; you are just signing up to be put
on the list. If you need any further guidance or have questions reach out to me
at Elipollock2@yahoo.com.
