Power

The following is a story sent to me from a rabbi in Taiwan. How we met, and who he is, is a special tale in and of itself. But for now, we'll keep this post current. I wanted to re-post this story for several reasons. One, when I read it, it was exactly the points and beliefs I needed to reminded of this morning. The second reason is because of the man I call "my favorite beggar" at the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem.

There are beggars in Jerusalem, but they are unlike the panhandlers you see in San Francisco, or San Diego. Collecting "tzedaka" is a sanctioned occupation for Torah students (to the best of my understanding). Otherwise there are the disabled "regulars" asking for alms and a few newcomers who see a way to get some quick pocket money.

The man I'm speaking of collects money, but he also sings songs about Elohim. He dresses in clean clothes, and has a car. And he never refuses any amount, no matter how small. Every time I see him, I smile. He has so much joy and such a pleasant spirit about him. He tells me that each smile makes me a little bit more lucky, like a prayer, and every little bit collects until a collection of smiles is so great it reaches heaven. Whether I've given him money or not, he wants to pray a blessing over me and my brother. The blessing of the Cohenim, the blessing over the sons and daughters of Israel. I smile every time I see him. I also smile every time I remember.

Fun With Words

Eventually there had to be some word mix-ups living and working in a country where your first language is not first.

Today, my boss was explaining that we didn't need to change the soap with the Bibles. And while I was wondering where the Bibles were, it suddenly dawned on me that she meant bubbles (the instant foam soap). We shared a good laugh, though she felt the need to say her English wasn't so good.

Well, I got to tell her that my Hebrew isn't so good.

There were some guests who made a request for clean towels and their room was on my list, so I tried to tell them "yes, I'll bring them, but not now", meaning later. This conversation took place entirely in Hebrew and I said "לא אחות". They gave me the funniest look and I realized I must have said the wrong word, but I couldn't think of the right one. This led to pantomime with my watch. Ah, "לא עכשיו" they were kind enough to help me out with my garbled vocabulary.

This has been the source of residual laughter for days, and I'm pretty sure more circumstances will arise to continue the fun. Well, hopefully, it'll stay fun!