The Short Vort
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The Short Vort- -“The Rabbi and the Cook” (9/2/10)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Thursday the 23rd of Elul 5770 and September 2, 2010
The Rabbi and the Cook
Yesterday, I played hooky from the office for two hours by escaping to Boro Park.
As I have written before, I enjoy seeing Hashem’s children and what better place to see them than in Boro Park?
Besides a couple of errands and meeting up with my son to bring him a package before Yom Tov, - I was not in any special rush.
As I entered Boro Park a Chassidishe man motions to me if he can hitch a ride with me.
I was still on Cortelyou Road and not even in Boro Park per se.
I looked at him in his Chassidishe Levush (his Chassidic mode of dress) and as I noticed that the outside temperature was topping 93 degrees, I pulled over and motioned him to enter my car.
As he sat down he began to speak the vernacular of most Jews in Boro Park, namely Yiddish. Since my comprehension of Yiddish far outshines my ability to verbally converse in Yiddish, I gather that he would like to go deep into Boro Park.
I inform him in Yenglsih that I was going as far as 16th Ave and 39th Street where my son’s yeshiva is located.
He tells me, “that’s ok”, as he has to go to 13th and 51st, - however, he will figure how to get the rest of the way from wherever I leave him.
I was not that pressed for time and he really looked hot, so I decided to drive him to 13th and 51st.
As we were in car, we talked. I told him a Short Vort about forgetting and forgiving.
He told me that he is also a Rav. However, his position is in a small Shabbos congregation in Seagate.
Every Shabbos he leaves his home in Boro Park and spends Shabbos in Seagate where he has a small shul.
I (being always curious and looking for Short Vort fodder) ask him, “What do you do the rest of the week?” I assumed that he must be a rebbe or some other rabbinical position.
I was a little surprised when he answered that he works in the Masbia free-soup kitchen in Boro Park.
I then asked, “Oh, are you the Mashgiach there?”
“No”.
“Do you work in fund raising?”
“No”.
“What then do you do there?”
“I am one of the cooks in the kitchen. You should know that since we opened a few years ago in Boro Park, we have to open a branch in Williamsburg, Flatbush and this year even Queens.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. Who determines who gets a free lunch (or dinner)?”
“Whoever enters- gets free food. Man or woman; child or adult; Jew or non-Jew; whoever comes in and needs a free hot meal- we are there to serve them”.
This man is amazing I think to myself.
I looked at the skinny, young Chassidishe man in my car.
Once again, as usual, Hashem has turned the tables on me.
I thought I was the one helping out a fellow Jew, when in reality I was the one being helped.
Here was a Talmid Chochom, a Rav , a beautiful Chassidish Yid who realizes that not only it is not beneath his dignity to support his Jewish family; he realizes that he is indeed blessed to be involved in feeding all of Hashem’s children on daily basis; as well as earning an honest livelihood for himself!
Talk about a man who smashes obsolete stereotypes!
On Shabbos, he may be a Rav, However, during the week he in nothing less than the sustainer of Hashem’s most needy children; indeed, he is a Tzaddik!
Thank you Hashem, for allowing me to have the zechus (merit) to have such a special person in my car.
May we merit to help feed the hungry and may Hashem sustain us so that we should only be from the givers and never from the takers!