Community Magazine October 2012

To volunteer for the mitzvah man go to www.mitzvah -man.org or call 347-275-1490 Holiday Haberdashery It has been a challenging year for our family in terms of finances. It seemed as though every single part of our financial existence was either in bad shape or ruined. Lost jobs, a new child (Baruch Hashem) and added tuition expenses didn’t help the situation. We are both working, but at times barely getting by. We have already reached out to community organizations, but we know they cannot sustain us, just help us to the next impasse. September came, and suddenly, I had to worry about back to school, holiday, food, clothes, shoes, more tuition... and to top it off, one of our income sources had run out. I really did not know where to turn or what to do. There was so much we needed. On a whim, I sent a text to Mitzvah Man, asking him if there was any way he could help to get my husband a suit and maybe shoes. The response was instant: “What size is he? Let me know as soon as you can so I can get him something in time for the holiday.” The next night, Mitzvah Man hand delivered a new suit and several pairs of new shoes for my husband to choose from. We were already overwhelmed by his generosity when he asked what else we needed. I mentioned that my daughter needed a pair of shoes and he promptly sent me to a top community shoe store and told me to pick something out from the latest styles. Then he helped us with groceries for the holiday and sent me to buy holiday clothes. He helped with such warmth and dignity, that there was no embarrassment and no guilty feeling. Best of all, the Mitzvah Man’s incredible generosity allowed us to celebrate the holidays with suitable dignity and great joy. A Hero’s Lesson Every Monday at 12, I go out to get inspired. But my inspiration does not come from the conventional brilliant lecture by a scholarly rabbi, nor from the connection of attending a women’s learning group. Rather, the highlight of my Mondays is a visit to an extraordinary homebound elderly woman. Initially, I started visiting just to keep her company, but now I go for my own sake, as well! It’s like a lesson on life every week with a wise and interesting lady, and I thirst for more. Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned from these visits is that hesed (acts of charity) is not only giving to others, but also feeding your own neshamah (soul) with a feeling of self- fulfillment. “Even after he did so much for us, the Mitzvah Man actually thanked me over and over for allowing him to help” “I started visiting just to offer company, but now each time I speak with this special woman it‛s like a lesson in life. ” 52 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE