Community Magazine November 2012

Jewish Will Power Jewish W HEN DRAFTING A WILL , many people tend to think only of the loved ones they will, after 120 years, be leaving behind, and ensure to distribute their assets in a manner that will best provide for the surviving family members. But as the aforementioned story of the Hafetz Haim teaches, just as we put money away for ourselves during our lifetime, it is wise to allocate money for ourselves after our departure from this world, as well. After a person leaves this world, the mitzvot he performed during his lifetime serve as both his safeguard and elevator, protecting him from an undesirable fate and lifting his soul to the higher heavenly spheres. In fact, the reward we receive for our good deeds is two- pronged—we’re given credit for both the mitzvot themselves, and also for the effects of those mitzvot . Each and every mitzvah we perform generates a certain power that affects many other people, and this impact is credited directly to our heavenly “account.” Applying this well-established concept to the mitzvah of sedakah (charity), the effects of our charitable donations continue to pay us dividends even long after the check is deposited, and we continue accruing reward as long as the impact of our gift is felt. When we give money to a poor person, or to a yeshiva , kinees (synagogue) or community organization, we receive credit for each and every mitzvah facilitated through our contribution. Charity is, essentially, the most secure and profitable long-term investment we could ever make. Tapping Into the Power of Wills Jewish Will Power, an independent non-profit organization, is promoting an innovative way to link the concepts of sedakah and posterity. Many Jews observe the time-honored mitzva of donating one-tenth of their income to charity during their lifetimes. But just imagine if community members continued this custom after their passing, bequeathing 10 percent (or more) of their assets to charity. Would this not eliminate or at least assuage the debt that plagues so many of our institutions? At a time when so many of our families are overburdened by exorbitant yeshiva tuition bills, and so many worthwhile organizations are forced to close down for lack of funding, Jewish Will Power aims to bolster fundraising efforts by focusing on the heretofore underutilized capital in wills. Jewish Will Power envisions two possible ways to donate. The first is through a monetary gift, either by assigning a percentage of one’s assets to charity or by combining money from one’s will with pledged donations of other family members. The second is through a gift of property, whereby real estate owners bequeath a building to an organization with the stipulation that it be used as rental property in perpetuity, or sold so the organization can purchase a rental property with a higher yield. This method avoids the taxes incurred through selling property, provides cash flow to the organization, allows for refinancing as the property appreciates in value, and could even facilitate the purchase of more property with the proceeds – a pleasantly rewarding cycle. KELLY MASSRY A man once came to the Hafetz Haim to review his will and determine whether it was composed properly. He noted to the renowned sage that he had set aside money to provide for his wife and children. The Hafetz Haim reviewed the will carefully and then said, “There is someone you have left out.” “Left out?” the man replied in astonishment. “Who could that be?” The Hafetz Haim answered: “Yourself.” 48 Community magazine