Question:
Shalom Rav,
I had a question regarding Kiruv Rekhokim.
My beit knesset very much caters to people that are off the derech or people that are recently Baal teshuva and Baruch HaShem I know many people that have become Daati from this beit knesset, many being my friends right now which recently became religous.
They also attended yeshiva in eretz yisrael after and some are still there Baruch HaShem.
A while back I helped renovate the shul, and helped with kavod beit knesset V’Torah, and we were able to attract many more people to the shul by making it nicer.
A problem the beit knesset experiences is after musaf on Shabbats, girls and guys congregate in the shul after kidush and mingle and some bring their phones / non-kosher food.
I have personally given mussar and continue to do so, to these guys, but avoid speaking to the girls obviously but the guys in particular what is great is they come to shul because they feel a connection and I believe there is hope.
There is no doubt they aren’t a lost cause.
The beit knesset is looking to expand, we are making it bigger to cater to a bigger crowd, getting a much nicer and kosher mekhitza and making it nicer with more sefarim and with a new couple that will help with the younger crowds.
I wanted to know if it’s muttar to help and put time into choosing material (construction) to help expand the shul, cleaning and spending time with all of this in order to expand the beit knesset if it would be muttar to do. And if I’m the past the efforts I put in were a sin or a mitzva.
The reason why I am asking is Because I remember hearing in Shiurim if one donates to a shul that does bad things, they are going to be held responsible even if they intended to do the right thing with the bad things that came from the donation.
In my case I not only donated but put in my time to make the shul nicer, but up the modim derbanon posters and kadish posters, cleaned the shul and donated sefarim, esc…
The Rav I asked before asking here told me I sinned because I did all this to a shul that is a bad place because the mingling takes place in the shul.
He told me mitzva habaah beaveira, doing a mitzva through an Aveira.
I am very scared and sad right now and don’t know what to do.
I obviously wish they would never mingle and do all these things,
I asked this exact question to a different Rav right before asking this here and he said it’s very bad and must stop immediately which I totally agree but then he said if this happens then it’s a bad place and it’s doing a mitzva through aveirot and now I’m scared that all my efforts are infact sins and all these years I have been accumulating sins and not mitzvot for all the efforts I put in.
Thank you
Answer:
Hello,
It is hard for me to answer you when a Rov already gave you an answer, especially since I don’t really know your situation, and it is possible that the Rov you spoke to understand it better. However, based solely on what you wrote, I have to express a different opinion here. It is definitely not optimal to have the girls and boys socializing in the shul, with their phones, and non-kosher food. If they were holding on a higher spiritual level, perhaps they wouldn’t be coming to your shul in the first place, but going to a regular minyan, where things like this are not done. However, at the present time and situation, in order for them to get acquainted with their religion, they need a lighter setting, and they can’t take more than this; then this is what they need. In fact, running the shul is a big mitzva, and you are indeed being successful at being mekarev these people to Torah and mitzvos. The sechar of all their mitzvos is credited to your hard work, and mesiras nefesh. I wold love to have the zechus that you have for all the good work that you are doing.
“Chanoch lenaar al pi darko”, a person must be educated according to their present level. We can’t do aveiros, when being mekarev people, however you are not telling them to mingle, and they will mingle with each other in other forums, therefore I don’t see that it should be an issue of lifnei iver.
Chazak chazak v’nischazek. HKB”H should send you much siyata dishamya, in all the wonderful work that you do.
Best wishes
