This week I visited one of my friends in our community, as I often do. We study some Torah together, have a cup of coffee and chat.
This time he told me a personal story, which I thought would only be fitting to share with my blog readers (after getting his permission, of course). Not G-d forbid, for the "gossip", but only for the lesson which we can all learn from this.
My friend (who's name I won't mention for obvious reasons) before moving to our area a couple of years ago, lived in a small community overseas on a different continent. At one point, he went through a very difficult time in his life. His situation was very bad in all aspects. A few of his close family members passed away within a short time and his health was not good either. Besides for some money in the bank, one can say, he had almost nothing left in his life. Trying to overcome his hardships, he tried to contact some of his friends, but to no avail. People seemed to be busy with their own life and were turning their backs on him. He started getting quite depressed and thought to himself - how come none of my Jewish brothers living around me care about what is happening with me? Isn't love for our fellow and helping out, the basics of Judaism? Where are my brothers?
After a while, he stopped working, and slowly he even started thinking about the worst of all...
I'm listening to this story and have a hard time believing my ears. Across from me sits a completely normal person, someone whom I would have never thought to have been in such a situation. When I heard the continuation of the story, I'll be honest with you, tears were rolling down my cheeks.
He tells me that one day, he got an unexpected phone call from a Jewish woman he had known in that area, she was calling to see how he was, as she hadn't seen him in a while, and would like to come by to say hello.
So she came, and with her she brought a jar of Gefillte Fish for Shabbat. She thought she was just visiting and saying hello, but little did she know that she had just brought major happiness to a person who felt very lonely and even almost ended his life in a very tragic way.
That mornings visit, he tells me, simply brought him back to life. It brought him back to work and gave him amazing strengths to cope. It was the start to get him back to a completely normal life.
It is truly unbelievable how a simple visit can save a persons life.
If I wouldnt have heard the story from him personally, I would have a hard time believing it can happen.
For myself, I learned from this that when we do good things, many times we don't even know and appreciate how far the good can really reach. It is much more than we can imagine.
May we all continue doing lots of acts of goodness and kindness and may the effects be far reaching and make this world a better place.
Rivky and the children join me in wishing you Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Chaim
Me wrote...
Friend wrote...
Madelaine wrote...