Here is a myse - בדידי הוה עובדה. Happened to me. "The Elchonon". [As in "The Donald" - I just get a buzz from the barber so I don't sport such an elaborate "chup" as does he. Plus I don't have my name on any tower although the Medical library in NYU is called the "Ehrman Library". I couldn't resist...]
A certain Talmid Chochom in my neighborhood asked someone to approach me and ask me to give him monthly checks for 3 months. I thought this odd being that although this Talmid Chochom is not a rich man he knows that I have a lot less. But I couldn't say no. 1] Because he is a very chashuv Talmid Chochom. 2] I have a debt of gratitude for something he once did for me. Hakaros Hatov till the death...
So I gave him money. Not much but something. [A recent shiur I heard from Mori Vi-rabi Shlita was a discussion of the question if giving less than a shaveh prutah for tzdaka is a mitzva. Whattya think?]
A little bit of research revealed with incontrovertible [my 9th grade English teacher, the late great Ms. Mayefsky - where ARE you when I use fancy SAT words. She must be SO proud in Gan Eden] proof that everything I gave he passed on to others.
He didn't take it for himself but for others. He probably also understood that if I am his partner it will bring me good things [and I am sure it did]. But he never TOLD me that he passes it on. He just pretended that he took it for himself.
In fact - he gives about everything away.
מי כעמך ישראל!!!!!
