For at least a week or two before yom tov, and for a
week after they all finish, a person here in Israel can just
feel a difference in the atmosphere all around. The really
amazing thing is that some of the specialness that is felt is
actually apparent all year long.
My friend Sara W. rushed out of her house the other day,
grabbing her huge pocketbook while the taxi-cab she had
ordered started honking. Though she had not gone to work, she
needed to pick up her daughter, whose kindergarten was
located near Sara's place of employment.
As the taxi pulled up to Sara's destination, she reached into
her large purse to get her wallet and pay the taxi cab
driver. However, much to her chagrin, she realized that her
wallet was not there. Someone from her very large family must
have forgotten to put it back after taking out some money.
Unperturbed, Sara told the taxi cab driver to wait. She
figured that she would simply borrow some money from the
kindergarten teacher, and pay her back the next day.
However, the kindergarten teacher also didn't have any money
on her. Returning to the taxi cab, Sara explained what had
happened to the bare-headed taxi cab driver.
"No problem," he responded in a pleasant voice. "Here is my
cab-number. Tomorrow, just bring the money to our station
which is near your house."
Without thinking Sara asked, "What if I can't get there
tomorrow?"
"So pay whenever you can," responded the non-religious,
looking cab driver.
It was only when Sara had returned home with her child that
she realized what a level of trust in a fellow Jew that cab
driver had displayed. After all, it was his livelihood.
* *
When Channie F. took a taxi cab to work one day, the bill
came to ten shekels. When she handed the irreligious cab
driver a fifty shekel note, he said he didn't have the
change. Channie checked, and saw that all she had was the
fifty shekel bill, or six shekels in change.
"Give me the six shekels," responded the bare-headed taxi cab
driver, "and give the rest to a beit kenesset."
Afraid that she'd forget, Channie answered, "I work here at
SULAM, a school for Special Needs Children. Is it all right
if I give the money to them?"
"Fine," answered the non-religious taxi cab driver as he sped
away.
Chessed and charity are definitely not seasonal
phenomena here in Israel.
