Rrring...
Gedalya Lefkowitz quickly answered his cell phone. As a real
estate broker, he was accustomed to answering several calls
at a time. But in the past three months, all had been quiet.
No calls, no deals, no money...
Still, he had different occupations which did not interfere
with his business schedules, such as his chessed
program which continued to run without fail. At the mere
mention from his good friend and mentor that he needed to
take his paralyzed son for another series of treatments, Mr.
Lefkowitz willingly offered his services as a chauffeur and
would schedule the appointment in his book, affixing it as
the top priority, above all other monetary concerns.
These chessed `drives' were always performed with the
supreme feelings of happiness at alleviating the difficult
crises that his friends were undergoing.
*
"Hi, Gedalya. This is Shaya calling. I wanted to know if you
have an apartment for sale on Rechov Haneviim."
"I have several. Come down, sign some papers and I'll show
you around."
"Great. How about tomorrow, Wednesday, at two o'clock?"
"No good. I have to be out of town at two. Can you try coming
earlier?" asked Mr. Lefkowitz a bit tentatively, for here was
a long awaited opportunity to earn a bit of money to cover
the growing bank deficit.
"Nope, the earliest I can come is at one-thirty. Will you be
around then?"
Sighing, Mr. Lefkowitz said, "For a half hour only. Then I'll
have to be on my way."
"What a pity. We'll just have to manage without you."
At the appointed hour, Shaya bounced into Mr. Lefkowitz's
office and signed the official papers, while Mr. Lefkowitz
photocopied the details of four apartments available. The
list was long and since he was in a hurry, he decided to
leave the rest for another time, hoping that one of the four
would suit his client's taste.
Shaya was out in a jiffy and got down to business. Upon
completing the round on his own, he was a bit disappointed
that none of the apartments had met his requirements. From
afar, he spotted his nephew, resident of the area.
"Hey, Chaim," he called out, "might you know of any
apartments for rent around here?"
"My neighbor is looking for a serious candidate. Come with
me; he'll probably let you in."
Shaya was very impressed and decided to sign the contract
immediately.
That night, at a wedding, as Gedalya and his good friend sat
enjoying the meal and festive mood, Shaya approached him and
said, "Glad to see you here." He related the day's events and
then removed five hundred dollars from his inner jacket
pocket. "Here's your broker's fee. A month's rent. You
deserve it. I nudged you several days."
Mr. Lefkowitz withdrew his hand as if afraid the money would
scorch his fingers. "I had that apartment on my list but I
didn't have time to photocopy it for you. I really played no
role in this deal so there's no justification for me to
accept any money from you."
The friend at the table turned crimson red and then pale,
realizing that he was the cause of this exchange. He felt
guilty that Mr. Lefkowitz had lost out because of his medical
appointment. He wished the floor would open up under his
chair and swallow him up. The unpleasant scenario came to an
end when Shaya replaced the money in his wallet in amazement
and newfound respect at the integrity of this broker.
*
The shrill ringing of the phone broke the stillness of the
office.
"Hello. This is Mrs. Kruptzick. I have an apartment in Beit
Shemesh and I want you to sell it for me. You know, I'm not
getting any younger and I would like to sell this apartment
that I've been renting out for several years."
Mr. Lefkowitz cracked his knuckles in excitement and asked
for further details. A few minutes later, the compact-sized
blue car sped down the street towards the designated address.
The tenant opened the door barely a crack lest some fresh air
enter her musty apartment. He explained who had sent him. She
unwillingly let him into her private abode. Mr. Lefkowitz
fought the urge to whistle aloud at the terrible state of the
apartment. Upon leaving, he excused himself for the
intrusion, went back to his car and quickly dialed Mrs.
Kruptzick.
"Whew! Your apartment is in bad shape, Mrs. K. It needs new
ceilings, a whole new bathroom, kitchen... you name it! The
maximum price you can possibly ask for this apartment is
sixty thousand dollars. I recommend, as a professional
broker, that you invest some money in renovations and then
you will easily earn an additional ten thousand dollars."
"Listen to me, Mr. Lefkowitz. I don't need another headache.
I can barely tolerate my migraines. I leave it up to you.
Sell it for what it's worth and I'll pay you for your
trouble."
Upon shutting the phone, he leaned back and began to envision
a tree that grew dollars overnight.
If he could only collect a one thousand dollar loan for the
legal fees, then he could buy the apartment, renovate it and
sell it for several more thousand dollars.
"That's it!" he jumped up in excitement and began to dial his
fellow shul members to help him make his dream come
true.
Slowly, his spirits dampened as no one, not a single friend,
had even one thousand dollars to lend him, or to become
partners in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make quick-
and-easy money.
Using his last resort, he dialed his brother in New York.
"Listen, Mendy, I have a great deal here where I can invest
some money and easily, surely, earn a few thousand. Might you
be able to spare me a thousand dollars?"
"One thousand dollars?" the shocked voice echoed overseas.
"Must I repeat?"
"One thousand dollars has to be `imported' from America?"
"I'm sorry, but you heard correctly and I'm really desperate.
Can you?"
"My friend in Yerusholayim may be of assistance. He has five
thousand dollars of my savings in his account. You can
contact him," offered Mendy Lefkowitz.
The ball began rolling in the right direction. Gedalya felt a
Heavenly Hand directing his every step. The trip up the
mountain towards the meeting was spent in fervent prayer that
his dream be fulfilled.
When he picked up Mrs. Kruptzick to take her to the lawyer,
she related that her son, who resides in Beit Shemesh, had
begged her to cancel the deal. He claimed that he had buyers
for a higher price. She had waved him off and said, "No, my
decision is final. I want to sell it to Mr. Lefkowitz for
fifty-five thousand dollars as soon as possible."
Gedalya had to place two hands on the steering wheel to
control the car. He was astounded; he had no personal
relationship with this woman, yet she was adamant and refused
to raise her price and insisted on giving Mr. Lefkowitz the
benefit of five thousand dollars just for the sake of her
peace of mind.
The deal was signed. The stamp was sealed. An overjoyed Mr.
Lefkowitz escorted the elderly woman to her home. She blessed
him with much mazel.
To him, she was an angel from Heaven and for once, he was
speechless.
On the way home, he contacted several heimishe
construction workers for an emergency operation to extricate
the apartment from its state, as well as to rescue himself
from drowning in the sea of debts. The work was scheduled to
start the following Tuesday.
But there were more surprises in store.
Monday. Mr. Abrams, looking for an apartment in Beit Shemesh
for investment purposes, was prepared to overlook the
condition of the apartment. A contract was signed and sealed
for seventy thousand dollars.
Fifteen thousand dollars was earned in less than a week. With
no investments, whatsoever. The lesson learned was
tremendous, serving as a stepping-stone for future challenges
in emuna.
Chessed opportunities are beautiful, which is all the
more enhanced when a helping hand is outstretched to support
the needy without hoping that the hand return filled with
gems and precious stones. For repayment from Above is beyond
the measures of this earthly world.
"Do His will as if it were your will, that He may do your
will as if it were His will" (Pirkei Ovos,
2:4).
