The Power Of Having A Good Name- Rabbi Yoel Gold

a friend of mine he asked me not to mention his name he lives in chicago i'll call him mark firestone he calls me up and he says charlie i gotta share with you this amazing story that happened to me i said go he says every night before he goes to sleep he reads a book and he falls asleep like that he says one night he was reading the book called shloymi it's published by art scroll it's a book about schlemmy gross a very big philanthropist a person who had a giant giant heart helped anybody and everybody and he passed away suddenly tragically when he was just 50 years old [Applause] so the writer charges the reader with a mission and tells the reader next time you have an opportunity to do hesed ask yourself what would schloemi do mark says great so i was so inspired finished the book closed it turned off the lights and i was getting ready to go to sleep my cell phone rings pick up the phone some bells are just his name is pinchas lerner true name doesn't mind if i mention his name from bar park he was in chicago he says mr firestone we heard a lot about you we'd like to come over and ask you for a donation now mark a never sees anybody in his home because he used to see people on his own he had long lines and he had to stop it was disrupting family life and he never sees anybody at 10 30 at night when he's in the pajamas ready to go to sleep then he asks himself what would slow me do he just finished the book so what would schleime do he says you know come over in 10 minutes gets dressed goes downstairs and robert lerner comes in 10 minutes he tells him he's collecting for the bells and whises in your line and they're short and they need a donation mr firestone is a big philanthropist he knows of bells he says look i'll give you twenty six thousand dollars [Music] twenty six thousand dollars now for a man you never met before that's your first time asking him for a donation i think that's pretty nice this guy learning wasn't happy he says the truth is mr firestone i came here and we plan to ask you for exactly double that 52 000. [Music] mark firestone says what thanks to himself you know 10 30 at night you come to my house i offer you 26 000 and you're asking me for double then he asks himself what would schlemmy do he says you know give me some of your contacts some of the organizations some of the people that have donated who know you and i'll call you back tomorrow [Music] tomorrow the next day firestone calls rabbi lerner and he says i want to tell you something i never do this i've never given more than 26. i've never seen anyone in my house at 10 30 at night but i want you to be aware i read this book last night troy me and i was charged with a mission by the writer what would she let me do and i was inspired come over i'll give you a 52 000 check he comes over takes the fifty two thousand dollar check goes home the next day timothy's learner calls mark firestone he says you called me yesterday you gave me a nice check i have a story for you you see when you told me about slimy gross i gotta tell you i knew slimy goes very very well we were very close in fact i accompanied the orientation scroll after the levia i remember a few weeks before he died i went to his office and i asked him for a donation for bells and i asked him for 26 thousand dollars and schlamey told me he said he doesn't have the funds available now but he promises me he'll give me the money for bells and then he was left there he never fulfilled his promise turns out you were willing to give 26 but the other 26 that i asked of you was inspired by shlaimi gross thank you for paying off his debt