IS OUR MONEY MANURE OR FERTILIZER?
In a letter dated 25 Teves (January 10, 1945) Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok of
Lubavitch writes:
When our dear friend Mr. Stillman said that “money is nothing,” I had remarked that when the money is used for a good and important cause, it is truly a lofty thing – indeed, this is the true function of money.
I want to clarify my remarks with an example of how a truly lowly thing affects the betterment and fruitfulness of something great and vitally important.
The earth. G-d had made it the treasure house for many valuable minerals and the source of flowing springs of life-sustaining waters. But most importantly, the Almighty has given it the power of vegetation. The vital grains, the delicious fruit, the beautiful plants – all are produced by the vegetative power imbued in the earth.
Certainly, one of the lowliest substances is animal manure. But manure is most vital in unleashing the earth’s vegetative forces to yield better and more bountiful fruit.
Money is manure. But when needed for an important cause, the money-manure has a most positive affect in boosting the quantity and quality of the fruit.
In my work, there is a shortage of money-manure. A shortage felt in all my many projects (kein ayin hara). Were the financial means available, the religious hour for public school children which currently serves 3000 children (may they increase) could accommodate 10,000 or 12,000 children.
The girls’ schools, Bais Rivka and Bais Sara, currently numbering 20 to 23, could be expanded, with the help of the Almighty, to 50 girls’ schools as well as several high schools and seminaries. In our publishing division, many textbooks, story books, and history books for the young await publication. And the need for all of the above is literally a matter of life and death.
In all areas of our work, the more manure available, the greater the spiritual harvest.
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