There is a Hebrew proverb...
There is a Hebrew proverb which reads, "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men." (This reflects the meaning of the Hebrew word zadaka, meaning assistance to others, usually translated charity, but which actually means righteousness.) Reflecting on this concept, the Rabbi of Zans (a prominent Hasidic teacher) said, "In my youth when I was filled with the love of God, I thought I could convert the whole world to God, but soon I discovered that it would be quite enough to convert the people who dwelled in my own town, and I tried for a long time but did not succeed.