Caracas, Venezuela 1999
Dear Friends,
I walked into his room as he lay there in pain on a hospital bed hooked up to many wires, and we started to chat.
I would visit the hospitals the San Bernadino section of Caracas at least once a week and visit patients, and this was seemingly just another one of those visits.
After a nice visit and good conversation, I asked the gentleman's wife if it would be okay for me to offer him to wrap Tefillin together and say the Shema. She told me that there is no way that he will do that but I can certainly make him the offer.
I offered... and he said "sure, why not".
We wrapped the Tefillin and started saying the Shema together.
Suddenly, he began to sob and cry.... and couldn't get through the words.
I was concerned and I motioned to his wife, and she told me to come with her outside the room.
Once outside she told me that her husband had been just twelve years old when his family were murdered in the Holocaust and had grown up in a Chassidic family in Poland. She explained to me that the tears and emotions that began to pour out as he said the first line of the Shema, were him going back on a journey in time, to his parents, siblings and family and his deep connection with Judaism which he had lived and celebrated together with them.
After a few minutes, he felt better and we went back in the room and we finished reciting the Shema together. He was deep in thought as he lay there awash in memories of all different kinds.
I wished him well and got ready to leave but still felt a little bad about being the cause of bringing up so much past pain, but then he turned to me and asked "can you come back again tomorrow to do it again?".
Of course I said yes and so began a pattern of a few days until he left the hospital. There is a beautiful continuation to the story, but perhaps for another time, along with the story of Mordechai, the gentleman who told me to visit this man in the hospital.
The eighteen months that I lived in Caracas were filled with many meaningful and also dramatic moments, yet stories such as these stick out in mind and remind me of the eternal messages of our faith and values, which continue to live on through all of us, no matter the turbulence and challenges.
The book of Shemot, which we begin reading tomorrow, has many powerful moments where we see the seeds of of Jewish values and the resilience that comes along with it, begins to take form and express itself in the actions and stories which we read about.
Please join us for services (10am start or anytime after that) and the Torah Reading and Message (11am and on) to hear more, and of course stay for the Kiddush (12:20pm and on) where we can continue the discussions.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel