Rebbetzen Tziporah II

Middle Chapters

Dear Friends,

I remember reading under the blankets with a covered flashlight. My mother was strict about seeing that I sleep 8 hours a night, and I was equally strict about finishing the chapter I had started. Putting down a book just when the drama begins was almost physically painful.

We are in the middle of a book, and while we know the end of the story, the geulah and everything that it will bring with it, we don’t know what the middle chapters hold in store for us.

There are stories within the Great Story.

About a half a year ago, a frum man saw a fellow of about 25 standing on the Yerushaliam-Tel Aviv highway. He was bareheaded and clearly not what those of us who see keeping mitzvot as real and important would classify as “One of Us”, but the frum man couldn’t avoid hearing the part of him that reminded him that the man he was looking at was definitely a Member of The Tribe. He maneuvered his car to a position that wouldn’t be suicidal and asked what happened. “I underestimated the gas I need to get home. My tank is empty.” “Don’t worry. I’ll drive up to a gas station and pick up a jerry-can full. What kind do you want?” They exchanged phone numbers in case there was something that needed to be asked and Mr. Frum (perhaps I should call him Reb Frum) was off. He came back with the fuel in a relatively short time. Mr. Traveler (perhaps I should call him Mr. Chilled) took out his wallet as he asked how much he owes. “No way,” replied M.F. “I did it just as a chessed, no payment is necessary.” M.C. thought initially that he was just being nice, but when he saw that he had no intention of taking even a devalued shekel, he told MF something he didn’t expect to hear. “You changed the stereotype I had been stuck with forever. First of all, you stopped. I was on the side here close to a half hour. Car after car just kept driving by, until you stopped. Second. I didn’t think a chareidi like you would take much of an interest in what’s happening to someone like me. I always thought that you were a closed society. Third, you didn’t take any money. In the news that I watch, you guys are money hungry parasites. I want to tell you that I will never forget how judgmental I was of an entire community.”

The next erev Shabbos MF noticed the phone number in his pocket, and decided instinctively to give MC a call. This began a habit. They called each other just to say shabbat shalom and occasionally to add a few personal notes ranging from “My team lost again” to “My wife’s mother is coming for a visit.” When Elul rolled around MF decided to ask MC if he would like to see how the natives of Frumland spend the holidays. Initially, MC was sure that this was a bad idea – What would he do all day? What if he feels like the odd man out? When MF assured him that he could do whatever he wants – he isn’t locked in and no one will force him to observe any mitzvah, he thought about it more. It might be interesting. After all, what DO they do all day? “Which holiday did you have in mind?” he asked when he was ready to make the move. “Well, Rosh Hashanah is two day and Yom Kippur is a full day fast.” MC said how about just one day. MF said, “Come for Simchas Torah.”

He did.

He left his home in Be’eri very early to avoid the holiday traffic. 

By that time the next day, he was fully aware that he had somehow eluded hell on earth. He was willing to recognize a hidden miracle had occurred.

He is only one person. The fate of the thousands whose lives ended brutally, or who now find themselves in unimaginable captivity, are tragedies that touch all of us, especially those of us who recognize that the entire Tribe is really one person.

I am enclosing a short clip of words from Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman. A man who lives with this, sees the present, and has a bit of insight into the future.

Love,

Tziporah

Rav Yizchak Dovid Grossman:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dGvVUhxfIlEts59VY6Mui132FK8yumom/view?usp=gmail

PS:  We have some notion of what achdus looks like. We, Hashem's dear children are learning to feel real simchah with those who are not our clones...  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rohAHfz-CswtjCjrIddv6ehdQbuuSbVw/view?usp=sharing