In over 30 years of being a gabbai tzdaka I have seen the same pattern play out again and again [with notable exceptions]: A person with millions, tens of millions and even hundreds of millions is MUCH more likely to give zero than an Avrech in Kollel with a large family. If I want to be sure that I will collect - I go to the עניים. [I have a friend with a gmach who says that he only lends to poor people b/c it is them whom he trusts to return the loan. וד"ל.]
It is not that wealthy people don't give tzdaka. Of course they do. It is their names on the buildings. But [I guess] they are asked so often that they get used to saying "no" and don't value five-ten-fifty dollars enough to give. So they give nothing. Maybe that explains it.
But my point is that Klal Yisrael is AMAZING in how people with nothing or less are still so generous.
This morning I was collecting for a friend who had emergency surgery and needs money to cover the operation and I was BLOWN AWAY by how much people gave.
מי כעמך ישראל!!!
Mussar Haskel: Always try to give SOMETHING, if you can. Something is better than nothing.
