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29 Nissan 5762 - April 11, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Home and Family
SPOTLIGHT ON SHIDDUCHIM
Johnny on the Spot

by LMW

After looking for a job for over a year, Sheindy K. finally landed a good position in a frum office in a NYC firm: good pay, good conditions, nice atmosphere. Only one problem: she had to travel an hour each way between Brooklyn and Manhattan, which meant getting up early. She decided it was worthwhile and used the time to prepare lessons for her Sunday morning Talmud Torah class.

Efraim, an erstwhile yeshiva student, had received an unusual dispensation. Instead of sleeping in the yeshiva dorm, the mashgiach had allowed him to sleep with his ailing grandfather in Manhattan until his family was able to make better arrangements. His service was much appreciated, as he was the only grandchild or child on the right side of the Atlantic who was able to pitch in and help. The mashgiach took into account the extenuating circumstances and the fact that Efraim was an outstanding student who could be relied upon to keep all of his commitments in the yeshiva and to the family without missing a beat. This meant getting up early but the effort was more than worthwhile. Efraim had already finished Seder Moed on the train.

All this did not go unnoticed. Al, a veteran train conductor, began to keep an eye on Efraim on his first run, and on Sheindy on his third run. He had a brainstorm.

He approached another passenger, described the two young people, and suggested that the rabbi introduce them to one another. They were both young, single (he presumed), Jewish, seemed to be compatibly religious since both studied from their `Bibles.'

The unbelievable part of this true story is that the rabbi was none other than Rabbi Moshe Rivlin z'l, secretary to R' Moshe Feinstein and R' Yaakov Kamenetzky, a veteran shadchon known throughout New York for making many matches. The conductor had a good sixth sense and had picked out the right man for the right job. And another bayis ne'eman was on the (rail)road.

When asked once how he had managed to successfully finalize one hundred and fifty matches, Rabbi Rivlin typically replied with a story: He had once approached a famous vintner for the secret of his lush vineyards and fabulous wines.

"You have to keep planting," was the reply.

Keep Planting

A young Litvish family, the Cohens, moved to Israel and gradually got to know their neighbors. In order to make the family feel at home, the neighbors made a special effort to invite the family to their numerous simchas. Along the way, Mrs. Cohen got to know many people, including two women who were married to chassidishe Rebbes. These were really not her social circles but she took a chance and suggested a match between the two families.

It did not work out, but one of the women could not help but remark at the `coincidence' that a newcomer, an American yeshivish woman, had thought of the very same match that one of the top chassidishe shadchonim had been promoting for over half a year!

The saying goes that every suggestion brings the real basherte [heavenly intended] closer. Many times we see this before our very eyes. Often a match is suggested, the individuals meet, decide they are not for one another, but having met, they are able to suggest a friend, and this becomes the true match!

 

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