Baltimore, MD - Apr. 30, 2026 - Kehilas Bnei Yeshiva of Baltimore (Rabbi Akiva Meister), recently became a partner with Kollel Zichron Eliyahu, embracing the Adopt-A-Kollel vision of connecting a kehila to support a kollel in Eretz Yisroel. The relationship was marked by deep respect and genuine connection. Rabbi Yeshaya Stroh the Rosh Kollel would visit and deliver shiurim, and the kehila took great pride in their role as partners in the kollel’s mission.
A few weeks ago, the shul ran a fundraising raffle of 360 tickets, each with a randomly assigned value between $1 and $360. The prize was a Rolex watch or its $16,000 cash equivalent. Wanting to show appreciation to his partners, Rabbi Stroh purchased a ticket, deciding in advance that if the amount was high, he would ask the kollel to cover the cost as part of its hakaras hatov to its supporters, something that can be part of normal kollel expenses.
The ticket turned out to be $326. Though it was more than he had hoped to pay personally, he committed to having the kollel cover it.
When the raffle was drawn, the winning ticket belonged to Rabbi Stroh himself! The excitement in the kehila was palpable! This was not just a personal win. The community felt that their rosh kollel, their partner, had won.
Rabbi Stroh, however, faced a question. Since the kollel had committed to paying for the ticket, did the prize belong to him or to the kollel? For the moment, he had paid for the ticket himself, and perhaps he did not need to ask the kollel to reimburse him. After consulting with his rav, and based on a ruling attributed to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt”l, the answer was clear: the one who committed to purchase the ticket owns the prize. In this case, the kollel.
At the same time, Rabbi Stroh was preparing for his daughter’s upcoming wedding and could have certainly used the funds. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps this was Hashem’s way of helping him cover expenses. Yet he recognized that such reasoning was a test, and he followed the psak with complete integrity.
Together with his family, he made a Kiddush to thank Hashem for the bracha of the kollel, confident that Hashem would continue to look after them.
A few hours later, an unexpected yeshuah arrived. His wife received notice that a long-lost claim for compensation from the Israeli tax authorities had been approved, and funds were deposited into their account. It was not the amount of the raffle prize, but it was a clear sign of Hashem’s care and presence.
Remarkably, a friend who heard the story was so moved that he sent Rabbi Stroh the full $16,000 value of the raffle prize toward his daughter’s wedding expenses. In the end, both the kollel and Rabbi Stroh benefited fully.
It is a powerful reminder of how special Klal Yisroel is, how integrity and generosity permeate every community and every Yid, and how Hashem’s hashgacha pratis so clearly rests upon His people.
(Rabbi Yeshaya Stroh shared this story with Kehilas Bnei Yeshiva)
