You know, these stories are such commonplace, everyday
occurrences that we sometimes forget to take note and marvel.
Especially so at the gemach.
What gemach? The clothing gemach, of course. The very natural
place where so many Hashgocha Protis stories take
place. And why not? It must be a favorite of the Shechina, if
I dare say so, this place where so much chessed is
generated in a very virtuous cycle, where His Presence is so
acutely felt that we sometimes take it for granted.
Take these stories which were exchanged within the space of
one week by various volunteers:
THE TOASTER
Luba, an elderly Russian woman with no one in the world,
lives in an old age home near one gemach and comes to do
buttons once a week. She cuts them off discarded garments and
bags them for resale, a very hot item by us.
"Does anyone have a toaster here?" she asks one morning. Her
problematic digestive system fares much better with toast
than fresh bread. One volunteer, call her Miriam, offers to
let Luba come to her house and make toast to her heart's
[stomach's] content. It is beyond the question of Luba taking
the toaster back with her. Luba has a heart condition and
carrying even something as small as this appliance is beyond
her.
Miriam has to go to a wedding that night and decides to bring
the toaster to Luba instead of her having to ome and toast a
package of sliced bread, two by two. Miriam, having worked in
the gemach for many years, rarely buys anything new. But she
did buy this toaster for her husband's birthday. And as she
and her husband walk to the old age home to drop off the
toaster, she timidly asks him what he thinks about letting
Luba keep it as a gift.
"What does she have in life, after all? This will make her so
happy! And it will make her healthier, too!"
"I don't mind at all," he assures her laughingly. "I bet your
gemach will produce another one for us."
NOT A WEEK GOES BY, dear readers, before someone brings in a
lovely, shiny stainless steel toaster. And not a regular one,
mind you.
This is a DOUBLE TOASTER, for four pieces of bread at a
time!
In telling this story over, Miriam rolls her eyes
theatrically heavenwards and quotes Tehillim: " `Can Hashem
set a table in the desert? Can He provide bread...?"
"You bet! With a double toaster, if you like!"
SKIRTING THE ISSUE
Chana tells this story in return; it also took place this
week.
She works in the gemach on Sundays. Mother of a large family,
Chana only buys when she is absolutely desperate, which is
rare. So here she spies a beautiful woolen skirt just right
for her. She looks it over but cannot find a Shatnez- tested
label.
She speculates whether it is worth buying (for four shekel)
when she will have to have it tested for perhaps fifteen. But
by the time she's made her decision to go for it -- it has
disappeared.
Chana works in the gemach on Thursdays as well. She spies the
skirt of her dreams right on the table. And would you believe
this? It now has a Shatnez- tested label!
So don't believe it. Go ask her yourself!
TEA FOR TWO AND TWO FOR TEA, MINE FOR YOU AND YOURS FOR ME
And another story exchanged with a volunteer from a different
gemach. Tirtza volunteers one morning a week and happens to
have an excellent eye for good things and right sizes. She
takes time out to pick some things up for a few young mother-
kindergarten teachers who work close to the gemach and they
buy what suits them, during recess.
She comes to them one day with a lovely jacket for Morah
Sora. Morah Rivka sees it and has been dreaming of such a
jacket for a long time, but is very happy for her friend.
The next morning, Sora brings it back. "My husband didn't
like it." Of course Rivka is more than happy to buy it in her
stead. That very day, a neighbor gives her a package to bring
to the gemach which is next door to the kindergarten. Rivka
begins to unpack it and the first thing she takes out is a
pair of little girl's Shabbos shoes. These happen to be just
perfect for Sora's daughter.
"You saved me the cost of a new pair of shoes. I was getting
desperate!" Sora exclaims.
MAKE THAT A DOUBLE PORTION OF FRENCH FRIES
And finally, another beautiful story that qualifies as a
gemach story since it involves Hashgocha Protis and was
circulated by a volunteer:
Chaim, a simple and upright Jew, struggles hard to feed his
large family. He is lucky to have found a job as dishwasher
in a catering place run by an absentee elderly couple and
their son. The son goodheartedly lets Chaim take home a
portion for his wife each night, and after a hard day with
the kids, this hot food is her special treat.
One day, the elderly owners of the business show up and see
Chaim putting away his portion in the refrigerator. They
don't like the idea and ask him to pay 25 shekel for it.
Knowing how much his wife looks forward to this food, he is
sorely tempted to shell out the money.
But then again, 25 shekel represents a large sum for Chaim,
and she is waiting for the money as well. Perhaps, just
this one time... Once Mazal knows not to expect it any more,
she'll make peace with the fact, but tonight she'll be
waiting for it.
Thrift wins out and Chaim decides it is too much of an
extravagance. He leaves work without the usual take-home
dinner. Just as he steps outside the door, a young man,
obviously an American, grabs him and says, "Hey, you look
like you have a big family. I just bought these but now, I
really don't need it, after all. Can you use these?"
Chaim peeks in to see a bag bursting with ten mouthwatering
portions of falafel, piled high with chips, tehina, salad,
pickles, charif -- the works!
More food for that 'table in the desert.'
