לע"נ מרת אסתר בת שמואל - אשה מתוקה ונעימה לכל!
בדידי הוה עובדא - It happened to me.
I was interviewed for a job with a well known kiruv organization who was looking for people to work for them. I took three buses which was expensive and tiring until I arrived. During the interview I was informed by the interviewer that everybody there works for free, so if I got the job I would have to do it for free - not even travelling expenses. I would essentially have to pay them for the privilege of working for them.
My question is - Why would he lie?? It was so obvious that people there were paid. You can't have a large staff of men and women with large families to support and have them work for you full time for free. I saw a wedding invitation of the head of the organization for his child's wedding hanging on the wall. How was he paying for the wedding [and the invitations]? With a Dvar Torah?? I tried it - it doesn't fly.
When I was there I saw the interviewer [who does this all for free, of course] hand something which seemed to be a paycheck to one of the people who worked there - right after he told me that nobody is paid.
Then I happily left and took three costly and tiring bus rides on the long journey back home.
Well, the happy ending is that they called me back, told me that I got the job - and haven't contacted me since. It's been about 5 years:-).
Why do people whose lives are dedicated to spreading Torah not keep a law which is not only in the Torah but is universally recognized as being a basis of morals and propriety?! In my life I have seen that most people will tell a lie if telling the truth will be less pleasant for them. This is quite distressing to say the least. When I used to fund raise people would say "I can't right now. Things are rough. When things are better". Not ONE of those people ever got back to me - although their difficult situations didn't prevent them from purchasing homes or going on costly vacations or buying costly automobiles.
What is more astounding is that people have made promises to me on which I depended and they reneged - with ever so much as apologizing or explaining why.
All I can say is - PLEASE don't be one of those people.
Thank you.
Bi-ahava,
Me
