Dear Matzav Inbox,
I’ve had enough. Enough of the unholy obsession with money that has overtaken our communities, enough of the idol worship of the so-called “Gvirim” in our midst who are raised on a pedestal just because they happen to have deep pockets.
It’s about time we call this out for what it is: an absolute disgrace and a cancer that is eating away at the heart of our kehillos.
When did our Torah values get so twisted that the size of a person’s wallet became the measure of their worth? When did we start elevating people for nothing more than their ability to donate? Is this really what we stand for? Is this how we want our children to grow up, believing that the ones who write big checks are the ones who deserve respect and admiration, no matter what kind of people they are?
It’s bad enough that these so-called “Gvirim” are treated like royalty, but it goes even further. They are given a free pass to do anything they want, no matter how reprehensible, because of their financial standing. They are celebrated, praised, and admired, with their every move watched and followed like it’s some kind of holy act. Why? Because they can give to mosdos. As if that somehow makes everything else irrelevant. We’ve been made to believe that the more money they throw around, the closer they are to holiness.
This is not the Torah way. The true measure of a person’s value lies in their character, their commitment to Torah, and their actions. It has nothing to do with the number of zeroes on their bank account. Yet here we are, living in a society where our children are taught that the more you have, and the more you can give, and the more you can do—no matter how questionable your actions—the more you are worth.
How sick is it that mosdos are falling over themselves to curry favor with these individuals, bowing down to their every whim? I know that mosdos are struggling and are desperate, but does mean that we throw our values in the garbage? Do we stand for nothing anymore but the Mighty Dollar?
How sick is it that the message we send to our youth is that money equals worth, influence, and virtue?
Our children are growing up in an environment where the most important thing they see is not limud haTorah, not hasmadah, not ehrlichkeit, not aidelkeit, not dikduk b’mitzvos, not avodas Hashem, not middos, not yashrus and honesty—but how much money someone has and can contribute.
What happened to the simple, humble way of life that our parents embraced? Where are the role models who lived their lives based on pure, reine Torah, not their bank balances?
Let’s be clear: this glorification of money and power is doing immense damage. It’s corrupting our values, it’s teaching our children that the more wealth you have, the more power you hold. It’s creating a system where integrity and humility are secondary to your ability to write a check. It’s spreading a toxic mindset that, unless you have money, you’ll never be seen as choshuv.
It’s time we stop this madness. It’s time we return to the true values that built our Torah community, not the hollow, materialistic culture that is poisoning it. We need to stop elevating people based solely on their financial status.
We owe it to our children to show them that what matters is not what’s in a person’s bank account, but what’s in their heart and soul.
The Gvir culture needs to end now.
Sincerely,
D. R.
A Concerned Member of Klal Yisroel
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