“If so, it is good!”

A Yid once arrived in the town of Belz to give a kvittal to Reb Aharon of Belz zt’’l.  Reb Aharon asked him, “Where is your pidyon?” The Yid replied that he didn’t have any.  Reb Aharon asked, “How did you come to Belz?” The Yid responded that he walked the whole way. “If so, it is good!” Reb Aharon answered.

The renowned community activist and devoted chassid R’ Yisroel Yakir Beigeleisen a’’h devoted himself extensively to Belz Chassidus.  Even before the war, he used to help his father, R’ Yosef Chaim a’’h, collect money for Belz.  After the war, R’ Yakir, who lived in America, made it his mission to collect money to send to Eretz Yisroel towards the establishment and revival of Belz.  There was a time when there was a desperate need for money in Belz. Reb Aharon of Belz said, “It’s hard for me to ask R’ Yakir for money. He supports me with half my parnassah!”

R’ Yakir amassed funds by asking from his family members first, followed by acquaintances, and then other Yidden.  He reasoned that when a person finds a ‘bargain,’ he first purchases it for himself, then tells his family about it, then his friends and others.  The same is with the mitzvah of tzedakah. First, he gives from his own, and then he wants his family, acquaintances, and others to be zoche – merit having a part of this great mitzvah.