THE CHALLAH PUSHKA

THE CHALLAH PUSHKA         צדקה boxes—known as Pushkas—trace their roots back to the era of the (בית המקדש,(י"ג שופרות . In later generations, the Eretz Yisroel Kollelim (קופת ר' מאיר בעל הנס) were the first to introduce the practice of placing Pushkas in every Jewish home. Until then,צדקה was primarily collected by Gaboim, who approached only the wealthy. The innovation of household Pushkas opened the door for everyone—including the poor and women—to participate in giving צדקה. It became customary to drop in coins regularly, particularly before performing הפרשת חלה and הדלקת נרות, leading to the name: "The Challah Pushka." In the late 19th century, Yeshivas Mir in Poland adopted the idea, placing Pushkas in homes to raise funds for the Yeshiva. This sparked strong opposition from the Kollelim of Eretz Yisroel, who argued that since they had originated the concept of the home Pushka, they alone held the right to use it. They insisted that no other מוסד should be permitted to raise funds in this way. ר' שמואל סלאנט זצ"ל and other גדולי ירושלים supported the Kollelim's claim. However, Gedolei Torah in חוץ לארץ defended the Mir Yeshiva's initiative, siding with their right to employ Pushkas for the support of Torah.