"There is no greater joy than the joy of gladdening the
hearts of the poor." (Rambam Megilla 2)
Dear Friend,
Tzvi W. loves Purim. He loves the thrill and the joy. And
he loves to watch the parade of basket-hefting kings, animals,
and whatnot that makes him feel like a child again. But this
year, Tzvi is afraid he won't enjoy Purim as much as usual.
That's because he knows that even before the last hamentasch
has been swallowed, he'll be faced with paying the bills.
Tzvi lost his job seven months ago. This year, his children
won't have store bought costumes for Purim. They plan to dress
up as a band of beggars. It's a poor excuse for a joke. And
although the kids will sport painted wrinkles on their brows,
the lines on their parents' faces are real. Those lines are
only a sign of the despair they face when they barely manage
to put chicken on the Shabbos table. Or when the mailman brings
yet another disconnect notice. Or an eviction letter.
Tzvi is only one of the hundreds who turned to Ezras Yisroel
for help. The number of families approaching us increases
each year, especially before Purim. That's because so many
families count on Ezras Yisroel's matanos l'evyonim campaign.
Ezras Yisroel helps the poor all year round. But on Purim,
we dispense huge sums to hundreds of poor souls. Each of those
people is qualified to receive matanos l'evyonim.
That's an important point, because in order to fulfill
the mitzva of matanos l'evyonim, you must give tzeddakah
to a true evyon, a really poor person. And it is quite
difficult to know who qualifies. That means that you may be
giving significant amounts to tzeddakah without fulfilling
the mitzva of matanos l'evyonim!
Ezras Yisroel can help. Send your matanos l'evyonim funds
to Ezras Yisroel, and we'll guarantee that the money will
reach true evyonim. And because we distribute the money on
Purim, you are fulfilling your obligation completely.
How can you be so sure that we help only really poor people?
Because every recipient of Ezras Yisroel funds is referred
by a responsible rav. Ezras Yisroel is endorsed by today's
leading rabbonim. In fact, Rav Avraham Y. Pam zatzal was one
of our most ardent supporters. Rav Pam was extremely involved
in many cases, and actually took part in the distribution
of funds. Usually, the poor never knew where their help came
from!
Ezras Yisroel volunteers are extremely discreet - and creative
- in their distribution. Recipients often find themselves
holding an envelope without quite knowing how it reached them.
But you'll know one thing - that a poor person got your matanos
l'evyonim on Purim.
When you choose Ezras Yisroel to dispense your Purim
tzeddakah money, you know that your entire donation will
go to the poor. It won't ever go for administrative costs.
Ezras Yisroel is a volunteer organization. Even basic office
supplies and postage are covered by independent donors. That
means that every cent of your donation will be well spent.
Not on postage; not on printing costs. Only on the poor people
you wish to help. Only on the mitzva of matanos l'evyonim.
How much should a person send to the poor on Purim? We can't
tell you an exact amount. But we can quote the Rambam, who
says (Megillah 2) that it is better to spend more on gifts
to the poor than on the Purim meal or mishloach manos.
"There is no greater joy than the joy of gladdening
the hearts of the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, and the
converts, for he who gladdens their hearts is likened to the
shechinah," says the Rambam.
The best way to make your Purim mitzvos more meaningful is
to increase your matanos l'evyonim. You'll also be making
Purim more joyous - for yourself, and for the people who get
your gift.
So send your tax-deductible contribution to Ezras Yisroel
today. We'll make sure it reaches the poor on Purim. In the
merit of your generosity, may Hashem extend His open hand
to you and yours, and bless His Nation with peace and prosperity.
P.S. The mitzva of matanos l'evyonim must be performed on
Purim, and Ezras Yisroel volunteers distribute your gifts
to the poor on the holiday. Although we will accept phone
or fax orders until 4:00 PM on Purim, we appreciate your early
response, so that our rabbinical advisers can make decisions
on distribution sooner. Please CLICK
HERE to generously donate.
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