Top Rabbi Blesses Donors with Wealth on Rosh Hashanah

Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, considered a leading halachic authority, will offer a special blessing for donors to the Kupa Shel Yitzchak charity on Rosh Hashanah. During the "Maftir Yonah" portion of the prayer service, Rabbi Sternbuch will invoke a blessing based on the Talmudic principle that charity leads to wealth, citing the Shulchan Aruch, a foundational code of Jewish law. He will personally bless those who donate the amount of "Tashpatz" (787 in the relevant currency) to the charity, promising them "immense wealth" in the coming year.

The blessing is framed as a direct fulfillment of a divine promise, where donors can witness the reward for their mitzvah (good deed). The charity explains that the donation amount of 787 is uniform for all donors, regardless of their financial status, and that the funds will directly assist families in need, widows, orphans, and the sick.

Rabbi Sternbuch's pronouncement is presented as a unique opportunity for individuals to test God's promise regarding the rewards of charity. The article addresses potential skepticism by referencing the Hatam Sofer, another prominent rabbi, who explained that apparent lack of wealth among some who perform mitzvot might be due to other factors, such as past sins or the mitzvah preventing greater suffering, rather than a failure of the divine promise itself. The charity emphasizes that every donation is accounted for and rewarded, though the form of reward may vary.