[COMMUNICATED] by M.K. There has never been a time or place with such dikduk in halacha and mitzvos as we have today. B”h we have a kehilah of bnei Torah with the ability to be mekayeim Torah and mitzvos with all possible hidurim. The Chofetz Chaim probably never saw an esrog as beautiful as the average yungerman is able to buy today, and any of us would be uncomfortable wearing the Tefillin made of dakos commonly worn by our grandfathers.

The lines outside the door of our morei hora’ah this time of year testify to how careful we are with kalos kechamuros. But, what about the Mitzvah of Tzedakah? Wouldn’t it be great to have guidance to properly distribute our tzedakah funds too?

Reb Moshe Feinstein zt”l would comment often that unfortunately, hardly anyone comes to him with such shailos. Can such an important area of Halacha, a complete section in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah not be given the proper attention?

The amount of tzedakah given by our community is legendary. It is something we should be proud of, and we are! Let’s give ourselves even more reason to be proud by prioritizing the tzedakah in complete accordance with ratzon Hashem al pi Halacha?

Hatzolah of Lakewood recently asked Maran HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, the Ra’avad of the Eida HaChareidis and mechaber of Shu”t Teshuvos VeHanhagos regarding this important halacha. He said unequivocally that giving for pikuach nefesh comes first. Of course there are many other important causes that we should be supporting, especially Yeshivos which in today’s world are also pikuach nefesh, but still, physical pikuach nefesh takes precedence over spiritual pikuach nefesh.

We all know that there is nothing more important than pikuach nefesh. Saving a life takes precedence over every single mitzvah in the Torah. That is the legacy of our community initiated by Rav Shneur zt”l and Rav Nosson zt”l when they instituted this chiyuv of becoming a Tomeich hatzolah. Let’s give it the precedence it deserves by heeding the call of the gedolim and becoming Tomchei Hatzolah today.

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