A Divine Partnership
published in Hamodia Magazine March 10, 2010
Several years ago, Mayer Klein, a successful Missouri lawyer and president of the St. Louis Kollel, hit upon a startling new fundraising idea. After years of helping to raise funds for the Kollel and other organizations, Klein created a modern-day version of the Torah’s Yissachar-Zevulun partnership: the Kollel would daven for the success of a local businessman’s venture, and if it was successful, the Kollel would receive a percentage of the profits.
The idea has proved to be extremely rewarding. This year alone, the St. Louis Kollel has its sights on making hundreds of thousands of dollars from the partnerships.
“The concept is to make Hashem your business partner,” Klein said. “When you’re negotiating a business deal, you feel that Hakodesh Baruch Hu is with you. The extra confidence it brings is a wonderfully great feeling.”
The success in St. Louis has been contagious, and in the last few years other organizations throughout the country have adopted the fundraising model. Each organization follows a similar pattern: when a company or individual is starting a new venture, the organization becomes a partner in the business. Sometimes a written shtar is used to make the partnership more official. Then each day before they learn, the organization’s rabbis say a special tefillah with the person’s name and a short description of the person’s business.
From Rags to Riches
After organizing many Issaacher-Zevulun partnerships in St. Louis and seeing financial success for both the Kollel and the business partners, several years ago Klein approached Yeshaya Goldberg.* At the time, Goldberg worked in the financial industry but was struggling.
“My business at the time was doing very poorly. Literally I was down to my last few dollars,” Goldberg said.
Klein approached him several times to suggest establishing a partnership with the Kollel. He explained to Goldberg that not only would he be supporting a worthwhile organization, but the powerful tefillos of the Kollel members would have a significant impact in helping him get back on his feet. Finally, Goldberg agreed that if Hashem granted him success in his business, he would give ten percent of any income to the Kollel.
The day after making his pledge to the Kollel, Goldberg received a brachah from a certain rebbetzin. He explained his difficult financial situation to her, and she gave him a blessing that he should be successful in his parnasah so that he could support local Torah organizations.
At the time, Goldberg’s company was bidding on a particular business deal, but he knew that it was an extremely long shot. However, later that week, just days after finalizing the partnership with the Kollel and receiving the rebbetzin’s brachah, he got a phone call that his company’s bid had won out over all the competitors.
Several days later, Goldberg came by Klein’s office to drop off a check for $229.10, which amounted to ten percent of his company’s first deal.
That check was the first of many to come. The contract that Goldberg signed with the other company developed into a full-blown partnership. He not only was able to get back on his feet, but after a while amassed a small fortune.
One day, Goldberg called Klein to thank him and the Kollel for their help in reviving his business. With tears in his eyes, Goldberg left the following voicemail message for him, which Klein saved for years afterward:
“Thank you for the opportunity to build Torah. You don’t know how much this means to me. I have always wanted to support Torah in a substantial way but I was not able to do so. This partnership with the Kollel has given me that opportunity. It has changed my life. I am so grateful to Hashem and to the Kollel.”
Goldberg eventually raised the percentage he gave to the Kollel to 20%. Over the next seven years, Goldberg’s business became so successful that he donated a total of $270,000 to the Kollel. He also began sharing his wealth with other local and national charities.
“If you give with a good heart, your rewards will be immeasurable, and I’m not just talking about financial,” Goldberg said. “Hashem says ‘test Me with tzedakah and you will be rewarded a thousandfold.’ It’s not just words in a book. Mamish, it’s true.”
Goldberg attributes his success not only to the Kollel’s tefillos and Torah learning, but also to the significance of the work he wanted to support.
“This is for limud haTorah. The Kollel exemplifies limud haTorah and supporting a lifestyle of living, walking Torahs, the yungeleit,” Goldberg said. “How can you not support someone who has the ability to sit and shteig all day long? That’s why the program is successful.”
Klein says the Kollel has another long-time partner who was recently had to decide between two new job offers. One job offer was for a high-paying, challenging job, while the other job was more relaxed and had a lower salary. He chose the former so he could continue to support the Kollel.
“He wants the opportunity to build Torah and infuse his life with extra kedushah,” Klein said. “He is reshaping his life to take on a more challenging role because of the greater upside, to feel a greater connection to Hashem and an opportunity to help the Kollel.”
Going Nationwide
News of St. Louis’ success has spread throughout the country. Several years ago the Cincinnati Kollel decided to follow suit, and turned to Klein and the St. Louis Kollel to guide it as it began creating its own partnerships. Klein has spoken several times in Cincinnati to help set the Kollel present the idea to potential partners.
Now, every morning when the Kollel members in Cincinnati sit down to learn, they recite the names of the Kollel’s seventeen partners. Over the years the Kollel has made hundreds of thousands of dollars through its partnerships. Rosh Kollel Rabbi Dovid Spetner has big plans in mind, with a target of one-third of his annual budget coming from the partnerships in the future.
“These partnerships allow people to get the Ribono Shel Olam in on the deal from the get-go. He is a partner in on the deal from the beginning,” Rabbi Spetner said. “Partners come to me with shailos about how much to give. I say your partnership is with the Ribono Shel Olam. Is he worth giving the extra amount?”
Rabbi Spetner says his Zevulun partners attribute much of their success to the Kollel. Some partners even pledge a higher percentage to the Kollel when they’re bidding on a more challenging deal.
“People get involved in the Kollel when they feel they need bigger zechusim,” Rabbi Spetner said. “Like anything, bigger things take bigger zechusim. “
In his position as Rosh Kollel, Rabbi Spetner interacts with people from many professions. He has been able to make connections between people looking for investors or partners for various deals. When these deals are successful, the Kollel often receives a higher percentage because of his direct involvement.
Just a few months ago on Erev Sukkos, Rabbi Spetner was learning with two real estate developers who were partners. In the middle of their learning, one of the men took a call on his cell phone from his lawyer. After speaking for several minutes, he put down the phone. He looked miserable.
The man said that someone owed him a large amount of money. His attorney had just called to tell him that the loan was due soon, and that he expected it would be difficult to collect the money.
After hearing about the phone call, his partner offered a suggestion.