A Story to Touch Your Soul

Friday afternoon July 18th Wal-Mart Honesdale PA. 

As the only Wal-Mart in a thirty mile radius, it attracts many shoppers who come looking for unbeatable prices and a great variety of goods. Each person minds his/her own business, locked up in their own world of bargains and maxed out credit cards.

The boys of a local Yeshivah are here to shop for cheap soda and water. But they have another mission as well: to reach out to another Jew and do a Mitzva with him.

The number of Jews in the area is relatively small, so the challenge to “grab” a Jew is quite a challenge. After a long time, the work paid off. A Jew was found! Well he’s almost sure he’s Jewish. His maternal grandmother had a real Jewish name something like Horowitz, and he remembers how his grandma would make cinnamon luckshin kugel every so often… a sure sign!

No time to lose. Did he ever put on Tefillin? No! Wow a Karkafta (a newbee), it’s pretty rare you meet an unwrapped Jew, and the feeling is quite satisfying. In a second he was totally wrapped with the Jewish antennas, and was praying tearfully to G-d.

A warm handshake and “Shabbat shalom” and it was over. Just another typical Friday afternoon occurrence for a Chabad student.

Shabbat afternoon July 19th Lackawaxen PA, (25 miles away from Wal-Mart).

After serving the Shabbos meal, the Yeshiva’s waiter Dovid decided he needed a break. How about a shabbos walk he told himself, so off he went to the river down in the mountains. The weather was great, the view was breathtaking, and immediately his mood was uplifted.

Upon reaching the river, he sees a car parked on the side, by the river stood a couple fishing. “Hey!” he called out to them. “Good afternoon to you”, they smiled.

“Oh by the way, said the man, are you the boys I did a Mitzva with yesterday in Wal-Mart?”

David who had heard about the “Karkafta”, responded that although he wasn’t the one who did the Mitzva with him; he was from the same group of boys just down the road. And no, although they both have beards, they are not brothers, and not even related!

“Wow! What a coincidence, said the man who by now had introduced himself as Bob, I live thirty miles away, who would ever imagine we would meet again?”

Dovid smiled, “This is not a coincidence; this is divine providence.”

A conversation ensued, with Dovid enlightening Bob on Judaism, and Bob ‘enlightening’ Dovid on fishing…

After an hour or so of conversation they started saying their goodbyes. Dovid reminded Bob to strengthen his Jewish observance; Bob wasn’t sure, “I didn’t grow up like this…”

Dovid smiled as he slowly walked away, “It’s never too late…”

Bob shrugged as he began lowering himself into the water for a dip. He first put his hand into the water, his hand felt something, he grabbed it and pulled it out of the water for all to see…

It was a kippa (skull-cap) … a soaking wet black kippa. Without a moment hesitation he put it on his head.

The water dripped down his face but he didn’t seem to mind, he was in a trance. His wife and Dovid just stood there awestricken by the unbelievable event that has just transpired before their eyes.

After a long moment of silence, Bob smiled “This is the second sign from heaven, two days in a row, telling me to finally come home.”

Having just been taught some of the laws of Shabbos by Dovid, he knew that fishing was not permitted. “G-d had just told me to keep Shabbat”, he smiled as he walked out of the water. His wife just nodded her head in agreement.

Later that day in Yeshiva Dovid told his story, a story of a lone Jew in the hills of Pennsylvania and his great father in heaven.

This story is not over, if fact it has barely begun…