Shavuous at Chabad of Northern Nevada, located smack dab in the middle of “The Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno, Nevada, is always a festive and joyous occasion. This year’s celebration was no exception. From the plump potato blintzes bursting with flavor to the mouth-watering spinach kugel, our taste buds were treated to many of the great dairy delicacies associated with the glorious holiday of Shavuous. Rebetzzen Sarah Cunin and her Mother Nettie Lerner prepared a Shabbos/Shavuous feast that evoked continuous sounds of delight from their guests throughout the evening. Everyone left the Shabbos table with contented smiles on their faces and satisfied tummies.
The next day Rabbi Mendel Cunin led our growing congregation through a spirited morning Shabbos service. Filled with the awestruck wonder of the story of G-d presenting the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, the spirited congregation gathered together to share and enjoy a wonderful Kiddush together.
Between sumptuous bites of chocolate bobka and overflowing spoonfuls of the steaming chulent, we discussed the true joys of Shabbos and the laws pertaining to the prohibition of work on this special day. Most of us were confused about the definition of work, and what could and couldn’t be conducted on Shabbos. Between a number of l’chaims and several more bowls of the succulent chulent, we learned that work is defined as the chores or tasks associated with the building of the Mishkan in ancient times. After some intense discussion we all felt we had a better understanding of this basic and so important concept. Enjoying ourselves immensely we kept firing questions at the Rabbi and with the agility of a skilled short stop he fielded them all with grace and patience. Sometime that afternoon someone asked him if it was permissible to own a business that stays open on Shabbos, even if the Jewish owner didn’t work and observed Shabbos. The Rabbi made it clear that an observant Jew should disassociate himself from such business ventures and furthermore, shouldn’t derive any financial gain from money earned on Shabbos. I didn’t really pay much attention to this part of the discussion because I don’t own a business and I don’t do anything to earn money on Shabbos. Instead I popped another piece of bobka into my mouth and downed it with a cool glass of Coke!
We ended the afternoon with a wonderful discussion about the concept of random coincidence. We eagerly traded stories about some very curious, what some might call coincidental, spiritual events we had experienced since discovering Chabad. In the end we all agreed that there is no such thing as coincidence in life and that Hashem’s hand can be seen in many different ways if one simply opens their eyes and their hearts. We ended the afternoon with handshakes and heartfelt wishes for a continued good Shabbos and Shavuous and headed off to our respective homes.
Later that day I walked into my home and heard someone leaving a message on my telephone answering machine. As I listened to the message I could tell it was my realtor calling from Oregon. She was informing me that after five months of trying to sell my home, five months in which we hadn’t received one single offer, we finally had a legitimate offer on the house. She went on to tell me that the person was leaving the country for a four week vacation and it was imperative we closed the deal immediately.
I stood in the doorway paralyzed with fear. You see, we had moved from Oregon to Reno in January. Each day for five months I had prayed that “today” would be the day someone would place an offer to buy our home. As each month came and went, I grew less and less hopeful we would be able to sell our home at a fair price. The more time went by, the more concerned I became.
Now I was literally standing in the threshold of my new home and the realtor was saying we had to move immediately or we could lose the one and only deal on the table. A voice in my head started screaming at me to “Pick up the phone! Don’t blow the deal, pick up the phone right now!”
As I stepped through the door the realtor hung up. I must have stood and looked at that phone for more than hour. Part of me was aching to call her back and make the deal, but the other part of me kept reminding me that it was Shabbos and I should wait until tomorrow. As I fought this monumental internal battle Rabbi Cunins words came back to me. “Ultimately, nothing positive is ever derived from money earned on Shabbos. Somehow, it is eventually lost or goes to pay for a negative liability. No matter how you look at it, a financial transaction conducted on Shabbos NEVER pays off in the long run.”
Finally, I took a deep breath and slowly walked into the other room. I told myself that despite the panic in my heart, it was more important to embrace one’s values and faith, then to toss them aside when they appeared to be somewhat inconvenient.
I spent the rest of the day relaxing, reading a book and practicing the haftorah I plan to recite later this year on Shabbos Chanukah. Moments after I doused the flames of my Havdalah candle I calmly picked up the telephone and called my realtor in Oregon. After I identified myself she informed me that after she had called me she had discovered that we really couldn’t conduct business that day after all because the buyer’s realtor was out of town until Monday. She told me that she was sorry she left such an urgent message but she thought we only had a day to consummate the deal.
Feigning nonchalance I told her it was not a problem and asked what we needed to do to complete the deal. We discussed the offer, prepared a counter offer and agreed to talk the next day. Within the next thirty-six hours of my conversation with my realtor, the buyer and I agreed on a price and the deal was consummated.
As I slowly put the phone back in its cradle, I marveled at the series of events that had just transpired. Over the years, since finding Chabad, I have discovered that the quest to become more observant and more spiritual is a gradual journey that builds one step at a time. Sometimes the journey is easy and other times the lessons are difficult. But one thing is certain; the journey is always filled with wonder and excitement.
In the last six years I can recount numerous conversations about the joys and pleasures associated with Shabbos. But it wasn’t until this particular Shabbos, on this particular weekend, on this particular Yom Tov, in this particular Chabad House, that I found myself involved in this unique Shabbos discussion. A discussion that ultimately prevented me from compromising my values and doing something I’d regret later. And if that wasn’t enough, it wasn’t until I was faced with, and made the right decision, that I finally sold my home in Oregon.
Coincidence, I think not.
No comments:
Post a Comment