And this is what Rabbi Ponoviz relates: When I was the rabbi of Ponoviz, I aspired to turn it into a power of education, I was not satisfied with building the Talmud Torah that I established, but I added a small and large yeshiva, and a kollel. A girls' school and even a secondary school. The educational institutions I established were scattered throughout the town, in rented apartments, and this made it difficult for them to operate. Since I saw this, I decided that a large amount of land should be purchased and the educational institutions should be built on it. The decision is easy, but the execution is difficult...
I learned that the priest of the town, the heir to the noble dynasty that ruled the region, wanted to sell a plot of forest in his possession for a bargain price: twenty-five thousand rubles. His only demand is that the money be cash. I tried to ask him to wait a few months until I raised the money, but he wasn't willing to do so. The forest is worth 100,000 rubles. He is ready for twenty-five thousand, on one condition: cash only. Well, I had five thousand rubles as a dowry from my father-in-law. It was money that was supposed to be enough for the marriage of my descendants. My wife agreed to dedicate it to the holy cause. I brought the money to the priest and we agreed like this: If I bring the other twenty thousand in three months, so good. The forest will become my inheritance. But if not, these five thousand will be a fine for violating the agreement.
Good and good. I went from rich to rich, and from generous to rich, and I began to collect the amount. But the devil was on my right, and I couldn't get a penny. Everyone for their own reason, couldn't give me money now. There were those who promised me that in six months they would give me a few thousand rubles, but I needed the money now... In the meantime, my father-in-law and mother-in-law, who had come to visit, found out. They rebuked me harshly for scattering the money in vain, and where these ideas came from for a young rabbi, and how dare I consume their money... So I went out of the house, and waited for their anger to subside. I came back at 2 a.m., and I thought that my father-in-law and mother-in-law had already left, while the rest of the family was asleep. This was not the case, but two of the wealthiest people of the town were sitting in my living room, waiting for my arrival. They are about to betroth their offspring at a good time, they want to give me a third of the dowry—ten thousand rubles each—and they both trust me. I said to them: Can I use the money for the needs of the public? And in six months to return it? They willingly agreed. I went up to the priest's house, and paid the amount, and I established the Kirya and it flourished wonderfully. Two thousand students were educated there in Torah and fear of God.
