Are You a Knight in Shining Armor?

 Do you jump up and take the initiative or wait and see how things develop and then step in?  I have had the opportunity to work on many worthy community projects over the years.  Those projects often involve garnering support from a wide group of people.  

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Our community is generous, and Tzedakah is a high value for us, especially when it comes to bringing Torah and goodness to the world, so there are always people who will step forward and take part in a Mitzvah.

 

I have found that in every project there are three types of donors.  

There are those I call the Visionaries.  These are the people who see the concept and step up to provide the initial funding to get the project off the ground.  These people provide the fuel that helps the project develop before there is anything tangible to show, they make it possible to bring dreams to fruition, and their inspiration motivates the next group to give.

 

The second group is made up of the bulk of generous donors who see the project developing and want to be part of it.  The plans are done, the building permit is on the way, the materials are being ordered and the project is taking shape.  There is a direct, tangible benefit to the giving.

 

Then there is the group that I call the Knights in Shining Armor.  There is almost always a shortfall.  Not enough was raised, the costs were higher than expected, or all kinds of reasons that a project may get stalled.  Here come the generous partners who jump in and save the day. 

 

Every one of these people is a Tzaddik who has chosen to share their hard-earned money for a Mitzvah, and each should be celebrated and appreciated.  I have always treasured all those who made the projects possible.  But which one is the ideal? 

 

Toward the end of this week’s Parsha the Torah recounts the story of the princes of the tribes of Israel.  After the Mishkan (Sanctuary) in the desert was dedicated, the princes immediately donated wagons for the Levites to carry the parts of the Mishkan on their travels. Then, each day one of the 12 princes brought an ornate and generous offering, consisting of animal sacrifices, flour and incense sacrifices, and various gold and silver vessels.  The first was brought on the day of the dedication, and the offerings continued for 12 days.

 

Rashi comments on the fact that the princes were the first to bring offerings as soon as the Mishkan was dedicated.  This was different from the previous time, when they were last.  

 

When Moshe told the people about Hashem’s call for everyone to contribute items for the building of the Mishkan, the princes said:  “Let the people give what they will and we will complete the rest.”  In the end, the people gave more than was needed, and there was nothing left for the princes to give among the standard items that were needed.  The only things left for them to contribute were precious stones and spices and oil.  These were significant gifts in their own right, but much less than the princes had expected, and they were left out of the bulk of the donations.  

 

Their decision to be the knights in shining armor ended up leaving them out.  They learned their lesson and rushed to be the first to bring offerings in the newly dedicated Mishkan.

I think the message here is that when there is a project that is going to bring light to the world, don’t wait.  Step up and be a visionary and make it happen.  It is a special Mitzvah to be among the first ten at a minyan, and it is a special Mitzvah to be among the first to get a Tzedakah project off the ground.

 

Oh, and don’t worry, if you are the knight in shining armor type, I can almost guarantee that there will be a need for that too at the end of the project.