By the Grace of G-d Dear Friend, The ‘Grab’ (the regional ‘Uber’) car came to pick me up. I was just finishing up an appointment in the office and came down seven minutes late. As I ran towards the pick-up spot, I saw three cars in the designated pick-up spot. One car was helping a second car start up its engine with jumper cables. The third was standing ready. I was a bit uptight as I was running late to a meeting. I muttered, perhaps even grumbled, to myself ‘I hope that it’s not my driver who is helping out with igniting the other car. That’s all I need, to be even later for my appointment’. And then thank G-d I got the epiphany. An inner voice called out: Slow down and smell the roses. Wake up and smell the coffee. The Torah is summed up as a Torah of pleasantness and peace. Acting kindly to others is the cornerstone of our religion. It dawned on me, that I ought to reframe this experience to reflect the benevolent chessed-values of Torah Judaism. Erase the original reaction. Reframe. Once I moved over to my revised perspective of what was transpiring I felt uplifted rather than irritated. I now thought to myself I hope it IS my driver who is providing the benevolent service of helping a fellow person whose car battery failed him. (Besides the obvious that I hope that the car transporting me is in good condition and not in danger of stalling :-)). I mused to myself. I thought I was running late and was inconveniencing the ‘Grab’ driver to wait for me for seven minutes. Whereas really Hashem was providing for an opportunity for one person to help the other. The hapless driver who needed a battery boost was stuck outside my office not knowing how he would boost his battery. Out of nowhere, Hashem sent him a driver who happened to have jumper cables in his car. And Hashem matched that up with a rabbi who was running late. Presto! The scenario was all set for this random act of kindness. Wondrous are the ways of Hashem. Indeed G-d provided the set opportunity. But my driver gets special credit for utilizing the opportunity to help his fellow. Uplifting oh how uplifting it is when people step out of their selfish zone to help others. After the stalled car roared to life, the cables were wrapped and restored in my ‘Grab’ car, we were on our way. Now I would be even later to my meeting. But I was not concerned. I thought about the irony of our lives. Why am I running to this appointment? It was not for my own enrichment. Rather, I needed to meet some philanthropic supporters to further my ability to do acts of kindness. Nu, so I should be overjoyed that even before I sent out on my journey to search for more resources to do kindness in the future, I was already an ‘accidental’ partner in a random act of kindness. The driver who I had called helped his fellow driver with a boost. I thank Hashem for bringing me to my senses. And pray that He continue to shower me with His open guidance. It gets better…. When I arrived back home, my wife showed me a bird nest she had discovered just outside our window earlier this afternoon. Click to see pictures. She was showing the air-conditioning technician where a drain pipe was and she discovered a nest. With eggs. And with a little chick that had just emerged from a broken egg. Any other time I would just say ‘how cute’ and move on. But not this week. Finding this nest, replete with eggs and a newly hatched chick, this week of all weeks, was an amazing Divine Providence. This week we read the Torah portion that speaks about what to do when you see a bird sitting on eggs or chicks. That you may not take the eggs while the mother is there. Rather you need to send away the mother. This Mitzvah is quite intricate. Generally, it teaches us how Hashem is merciful to all His creatures. Click here for more thorough discussion on this enigmatic mitzvah. I want to focus on the first words of this Mitzvah ‘If a bird’s nest chances before you on the road’. These words teach us that this mitzvah only applies to an ‘unplanned’ finding of a nest. It does not apply for example if you are a bird grower and anticipate having nests. It only applies if you ‘happen’ to find a nest. If you ‘happen’ to find a nest, the Torah instructs you how to react in a compassionate fashion. I find that it is a greater challenge to react generously and kindly to scenarios that just ‘happen’ to fall on us when we are unprepared. Even genuinely nice people, who would be hospitable and amicable if they were forewarned about a guest coming over to their home, may act quite curtly when someone turns up at their door unannounced. It is not that they are inhospitable. It is simply that they were caught off guard. The great sage Hillel was a paradigm of kindness. In whatever circumstance you caught him, he instinctively reacted with patient kindness. The Talmud relates the following story: Hillel’s tolerance and understanding personality were renowned. One Friday afternoon, as Hillel the Elder was busily preparing for Shabbat, a man came to his door and demanded to speak with him. Hillel calmly dressed himself in proper attire and went to speak with his visitor to find out what was so urgent. The man related a question: Why were Babylonians’ heads unusually round? This was a dig at the Babylonian-born Hillel. Without missing a beat, Hillel answered that the unusual shape of their heads was due to improper care by midwives. The man left, seemingly satisfied. A few minutes later, though, he was back, once again with an all-important query. This time he wanted to know about the squinted eyes of the residents of Tadmur. Hillel answered him and he left. This cycle repeated itself again, with the man asking about the wide feet ascribed to the people of Africa. After the third question and another even-keeled response from Hillel, the man became very upset. He told Hillel that he had bet his friend four hundred zuz that he could get Hillel the Elder upset. Now, he would lose four hundred zuz! Hillel smiled and said, “Better you lose four hundred zuz than I get upset. This week the Torah teaches that even if you just ‘happen’ onto a situation without having been forewarned, make sure your response is one of kindness and benevolence. For you never truly ‘happen’ to find yourself in a situation as a fluke. This is G-d’s preordained path for you. The purpose for throwing a curveball? To see how you will respond. Your Torah-guided benevolent response even to an unanticipated situation is the goal. May Almighty G-d have compassion on us and carry us on the wings of eagles to the Messianic Redemption. Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Yosef Kantor PS Much success in the lead-up to Rosh Hashana. Click here for a wealth of information on this special Elul month of introspection and preparation for the upcoming High Holidays.