The Crowdfunder That Broke All the Rules
The Torah in Parshat Vayakhel speaks about the most successful crowdfunding campaign in the history of mankind. Hashem instructed Moshe to announce to the Jewish people the plans for the Tabernacle and the materials necessary to complete the project. One of the mandates of this fundraiser was that people could not be coerced, bullied, or shamed into donating. It had to be a free will offering from their hearts. They had to want to give it.
What happened next was truly remarkable. The entire project was funded within 24 hours. People were so invested in making the Tabernacle (the structure that would prove Hashem forgave them for the debacle of the golden calf because the Divine Presence would be manifest in the camp) that they brought everything without any prodding. And then the unthinkable happened: Moshe shut down the campaign. The goal was met, so the announcement said, “Stop bringing materials. We have enough and then some.” That was the only time in history that a campaign was shut down due to its success! There were no calls for “We still have time, and an anonymous donor is willing to match up to $X.” It was just done.
The princes of the people were beside themselves with remorse because they had not yet contributed. They hadn’t immediately donated along with the rest of the nation because they had intended to give only after everyone else had brought their offering and filled in the deficit with what was still needed. After the nation raised the funds so quickly, they had to approach Moshe about how they could be included. But now that everything was brought and the announcement went out to stop donating, what would they do? Moshe told them to bring the 12 stones for the Kohain’s breastplate. This was, to them, a minor offering, and they had learned their lesson: not to wait to see what else is needed but give/do what you want right away. Do not procrastinate and say, “I have time.” This Jewish principle is known as “Z’rizim makdimin b’mitzvot,” referring to eager people careful to fulfill the mitzvah right away.
When I announced the upcoming campaign for the Virtual Food Pantry and invited people to donate before the official launch date of March 25th, our community fulfilled the dictum of “z’rizim makdimin b’mitzvot” and started to give. As I write this article, we are already at 20% of our $8k goal! The generosity and willingness to help others in our community is amazing and very humbling. G-d willing, we will meet our goal and be able to not only help our clients enjoy their seders but also aid them in purchasing groceries throughout the year.
Please be assured that no donation is too small. Every little bit helps us help others in Jewish Michiana.
On behalf of Jewish Family Services (JFS), I wish you a happy, healthy, and kosher Pesach.
Rabbi Fred Nebel
Jewish Family Services Director
574-233-1164 x1806
RabbiNebel@TheJewishFed.org