What was Holding Him Back?
As the men hurried home to make havdalah, a powerful blast rocked the Bais Yisrael neighborhood in Yerushalayim. It was Motzei Shabbos Parshas Ki Sisa, 2002, and a devastating terrorist attack had occurred, leaving many innocent victims dead in its wake. One of them was Shauli Nechmad, H”yd, a fifteen-year-old bachur from Bnei Brak, who had been in Yerushalayim for a family bar mitzvah.
At the levayah the following day, the maspidim described Shauli as a boy who was particularly careful about doing mitzvos correctly. In attendance were the staff and students of Yeshivah Ohr Gaon, where Shauli had been a student. All cried copious tears at the loss of their beloved student and friend.
That night, Rav Dovid Cohen, mashgiach of Ohr Gaon, fell into an uneasy sleep. Soon, he found himself dreaming of his lost student Shauli. In the dream, Rav Cohen turned to the boy and asked him, “How are you? And what is being done with your judgment?”
Shauli answered, “I haven’t yet been judged in Shamayim because I owe money to two bachurim. Please repay the debts for me, and I will make sure the money is returned to the Rav.”
Rabbi Cohen awoke, shaken, and found that he could not fall back to sleep. The next day after Shacharis, he gathered all the bachurim in the yeshivah asked, “Is there anyone here to whom Shauli Nechmad owed money?”
Two bachurim responded. One was owed ten shekel (equivalent to less than $3) and the other twenty shekel (approximately $5). Rabbi Cohen immediately reimbursed them, as Shauli had requested.
When Rabbi Cohen went to pay a shivah call to the Nechmad family, he related his dream and his subsequent follow-up. Then and there, Shauli’s father repaid him the 30 shekel.
(Genendel Krohn, Sparks of Glory, Feldheim Publishers, pages 265-267)
Are we cognizant that even our smallest actions can make a difference forever?
Take This Home
No doubt Shauli, a martyred Jew and a yeshivah bachur of exceptional caliber, was worthy of great reward in the World to Come. Yet a small sum of money was holding him back from enjoying that eternal pleasure.
Is there anyone to whom you owe money or an item? If it isn’t yours, take a concrete step toward returning it today.
In Short
“One of the greatest mistakes a person makes is underestimating the significance of his actions – both negative and positive.”
It Happened to Me!
My Olam Haba Moment
One of my siblings (I’ll call him Avi) has a tendency to show up at the most inopportune times, looking for a meal, to schmooze, or for a Shabbos invitation. Since Avi lives alone and my parents live far away, I try my best to accommodate him and then to let my parents know that he is taken care of. I know it gives them peace of mind, and it has enhanced my relationship with them too. The knowledge that I am helping my parents every time I open my home and heart to Avi puts a positive spin on the situation.
Recently, I thought of something else. Avi is a child of Hashem! Doesn’t it give Hashem pleasure when I care for His child – even more than it gives my parents pleasure? And isn’t this cementing my relationship with Hashem?
L.C.
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