The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Thursday the 16
th
of Adar Aleph 5779 and February 21, 2019
“A Leiter Moment”
Often we see the cover of a magazine and there is a picture of a serious looking
askan.
Splashed across his Yarmulka is the headline, “The man who single-handily saved Yeshiva XYZ from bankruptcy.”
When you turn to the story you realize that although this man is certainly worthy of our praise, nevertheless, you can never imagine yourself raising 14 million dollars.
Jewish heroes and their stories appear in countless books and on covers of magazines.
However, it’s often the small things in life which really pull at my heartstrings.
Ari and Faigy Leiter (parents of Binyamin, see Mishpacha # 723) are good friends of mine.
Ari is a hard-working man who teaches challenged children full time in the Passaic Public School system. After arriving home, he then works an additional five hours in his brother’s Pizza store.
He works hard and considers it a privilege to support his family in an honorable way.
Faigy, his wife, is also a Chesed-doer and regularly attends my Women’s Parsha Class.
Recently they proved to me once again, how the “minor” almost “pedestrian-Chasodim” are the most meaningful.
I returned from my grandson’s Bar Mitzvah in Yerushalayim on Thursday, January 3
rd
.
My wife remained an extra Shabbos and arrived back on Monday morning January 7
th
at 4:30 AM and after a quick stop at home headed off for work.
I received a text on Sunday which stated, “Faigy and I are sure by the time your wife gets home from work she would not be in the mood to start cooking dinner. Can we bring over dinner for you tomorrow on Monday?”
Many Jewish communities have organized meal trains where sick people, or Aveilim or a woman after birth, receives supper for the family for a week or two. This is nothing new and thankfully exists in most Jewish neighborhoods.
However, this was different. Here was a couple who were truly looking for Chesed.
They understood how grueling a 12 hours flight can be.
They thought long and hard how to lend a hand in any way they could.
They realized that with my wife working a full day after a twelve-hour flight to relieve her of the chore of dinner would be appreciated.
That Monday evening two beautifully created salmon salads arrived at our front door.
As my wife and I began to eat we both realized how hungry and tired we both were and the salmon tasted as if it came from Gan Eden.
This small gesture of kindness carefully thought out by people who really care and think about us was very appreciated.
Specifically, because it was the often overlooked act of kindness, it meant so much to me.
I imagined the actual making of the salmon salad was not a major project as it was prepared in their Prima Pizza shop.
And I know this story will not appear on the cover of any magazine or book.
The Chessed was not a million dollar gift to a Mossad and the food did not save us from starvation.
What made their food gift so special and the Chessed so appreciated was the thought they put into it.
They actually thought hard and long, how can we make the Rabbi and his wife’s life a little easier?
This is the type of Chessed which is truly worthy of being in “The Book” that counts.
Also included in this “special book” are those people who refuse to double-park even to let their husband out of the car for Mincha. Another chapter can be devoted to those who put their siddurim away and throw away their used tissues.
The Leiters who are unseen and unknown Chessed people are true Jewish heroes as
He
sees all.
In my entire life, Salmon never tasted as good as it did on that Monday evening in January.
“If Not Now, Then When ?”- Hillel
Ron Yitzchok Eisenman, Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel, Passaic, NJ
