A few months ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel with my husband and three children. It was an intense and vibrant journey. A unique country for the Jewish people - a melting pot of cultures, origins, and beliefs.
Arriving in Jerusalem and at the Kotel on Shabbat was a special, indescribable experience filled with multiple sensations. The Shabbat light was there to illuminate all of us - some more than others - depending on the spiritual openness of each person.
The contrasts at the Kotel were as visible as they are in everyday life. There were those who walked with fervor through the narrow streets of the old city, eager to witness "the arrival of the bride." Then there were others standing still on the side of the stairs leading to the Kotel, seemingly frozen in time, asking for charity.
Thanks to the help of Rav Mendy Shemtov, we met Dovid Kuflik from the Chabad Movement, who unknowingly turned the Shabbat experience into a life lesson.Dovid suggested we join him for Shabbat prayers at the Kotel and then accompany him to the "Colel Chabad" Center facing the Kotel to make Kiddush.
With great delicacy, he explained that he couldn't provide us with food because the "Colel Chabad," marked with the sign "Free Kitchen for the Needy," is a community kitchen serving meals for those in need.
It's true that a righteous person doesn't necessarily have to be religious, but when they are, their actions take on an extraordinary dimension. And this is what I felt when I saw Dovid on Friday night. Perhaps this is truly the charity that the Rebbe speaks of when he emphasizes that in a material world, no one can dispute the value of money. However, he explains that well-conceived charity goes beyond monetary value.
Feeling empathy for others and nurturing solidarity as a human quality requires opening our eyes and looking at those beside us. Just as beliefs are passed from parents to children, the same goes for sensitivity towards the material or spiritual needs of those who, for some reason, cross our paths. When Dovid hurried from table to table serving food, he didn't ask anyone how religious they were, where they came from, or if they studied Torah. When there's hunger, the spiritual priority is to provide a plate of food.
Probably, Dovid knew this - that there's a time and place for everything. Who can truly find themselves when their physical body is suffering? Charity isn't pity; no one deserves pity. Being moved by someone's situation is inevitable and appropriate, but always with the understanding that no one is greater than another in this world.
I want to express my gratitude to Dovid and the Chabad Movement for "rescuing our Jewish essence," for making it possible for us to not feel alone in the crowd, for accepting us without judging our outward appearance, and for showing us another side of Shabbat.
No one is exempt from anything. Perhaps, for many, the only contact with the "religious" world is the Friday night meal. Religious and non-religious. Wealthy Jews and poor Jews. Empathy and indifference. That's life; a constant contrast.
Published for: Kesher Magazine Chabad Uruguay
Date: 2015
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