Community Magazine December 2003

Years ago, when our community still lived in the Bay parkway/Bensonhurst area, my family was far from religious. It is sad to say, but I remember, as a child, Friday nights together with my fam- ily, as a visit to an unkosher Chinese restaurant. Everyone has tradi- tion, and this was ours. Somehow, I don’t think it was passed down from a past generation and I don’t recall anyone else doing as we did. So this gives one an idea of just how far we were from appreciating who we were and the great heritage we left behind in Syria. Sure we kept holidays and many of our beautiful tra- ditions, but Shabbat was almost, just another day. When I became bar-mitzvah, I decided to become kosher—or so I thought. I hadn’t stopped eating in unkosher restaurants; I just stopped eating meals containing taref meat or seafood. Today, we wouldn’t refer to this as “becoming kosher”...maybe we can call it, a step in the right direction. But, while trav- eling down the road of life, sometimes there are detours, and I guess, when one is stagnant, they can lose their way. Accordingly, my small sacrifice for kashrut only lasted about four years. I got married at 27, and one night, about a year later, I suddenly began to feel like I would faint. I asked my wife for some smelling salts and while still in the midst of this episode, I made a deal with Hashem that if he would save me, I would never eat unkosher again, still referring only to taref meat or seafood. Almost six years passed and I kept my half of the deal. Baruch Hashem, so did He! As my level of kashrut went up so did my income. (I didn’t notice a connection at the time). I bought a new BMW, and one day, invited close friends to take a long drive to a scenic part of Long Island. I was not familiar with the area, but I had the Yetzer Hara as my trusty navigator. He knew my weakness, and found for me the place where I was to be given my nisayon (test); a long competitive, row of restaurants with bright lights and flashing signs, SEAFOOD SEAFOOD! With my new American Express gold card in my wallet, (at the time, that was impressive) and feeling pretty carefree, I took a survey of who would like to join me for dinner. I heard a no and then a yes. So we parked the car at the most elegant place in fine seafood dining. So elegant, that when they said seafood, I think they meant you get to see the fish before you order—live and in their habitats. We sat down and placed our order, above and beyond what four people could consume, making sure not to miss out on the diversified menu. Unfortunately, the fins and scales class of fish was not their spe- cialty. We opted for their best, and time flew as we relaxed and wait- ed to be served. Eventually, the food came and as I took my first bite, I passed out for the second time in my life. There happened to be a doctor, who said I had a low pulse. They revived me, and I was whisked away on an ambulance. I realized I had another deal to make, but this time it would have to be for good. Immediately, I apologized for what I did and told Hashem that I would never eat unkosher food again. Only this time, with life hanging in the balance, I knew there were no baby steps to take. Hashem got His message across loud and clear. A check-up to my family doctor confirmed what I already knew. There was nothing medically wrong with me. His prescription was to stay away from unkosher food. This time, I would not opt for the limited version—I was going for the real thing. So my new deal was, only kosher restau- rants, and carefully checking for proper rab- binical supervision on everything my family buys. Just to make sure Hashem knew I was serious, I said I would also put tefillin on every- day. It’s been almost twenty years now since that time, and I’ve kept my end of the bar- gain and Baruch Hashem, so has He! – M.M. The BMW Bang Up It was the year 1979, in the town of Shiraz, Iran. Not an ordinary year for Iran and not an ordinary year for me. There was a revolution going on in the country. The Islamic Republic won power over the rul- ing Shah. At the same time, I was accepted to the best university for engineering—a very big deal because in Iran, university is only for a very privileged few, who get the very highest grades. As a surprise, my father, a successful businessman, bought me a new BMW which had a television installed in it, in honor of my prestigious acceptance to college. Two years later, on the anniversary of the revolution, February 11th, which became a day of religious observance to the people of Iran, two of my good friends came to visit me. They were excited to tell me about a new ski resort that opened up inArdekan, the next town. It was a Thursday, but since we had off from school, they were planning a day trip and my sporty car was the preferred mode of transportation. I was happy to oblige. We drove for a while and reached the border of Shiraz. We decid- 58 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s xc It Happened to Me! Your Stories of Everyday Miracles A Bargain for Life