Shlomo Horwitz told an amazing story about a 17-year-old yeshivah student named Rafi who was eager and ready to do mitzvot and change the world. Rafi was on a bus in Yerushalayim and having an existential moment, wondering what his purpose in life was. The radio was playing, and the talk-show host interrupted the music to answer an urgent call into the radio station. A young boy called in crying and said, “I’m one of five children. My father died this year, and my mother can’t pay the electric bill. The electric company shut our power, and we’re freezing. We need 1,800 shekalim to have it turned back on.” The radio host got back on and left the number of the station for any donations.
Rafi heard this and immediately decided this was his purpose. He had a mission! He ran off the bus at the next stop, grabbed a pay phone, and called the radio station. He said, “I heard the broadcast, and I’ll raise the money. Tell the family now that everything’s going to be okay!” He opened his wallet, he only had 300 shekalim on him. He went into store after store to raise the money. He told the store owners, “There was something on the radio...” And the owners said, “Yes! We heard it! Are you that guy that’s going to be collecting?” Rafi said, “Yes, that’s me!” Everyone gave what they could. As soon as the money was raised the money, he promptly dropped it off at the station. The host looked at this young boy in awe and said, “Who are you!” Rafi only gave his first name and left.
Ten years later, Rafi was married with two children, struggling financially as an aspiring rabbi. He told his friend that the electric company had shut off his power because he had an outstanding bill of 3,800 shekalim. Another man overheard them chatting and said, “Wait one second. What’s the meter number on your bill?” Rafi happened to have the bill on him and showed the man. The man pulled out his cell phone, walked out, and came back in to tell Rafi it was all settled, and his power would be turned back on in a few hours. Rafi, shocked, asked, “Why would you do that? How?!” The man said, “It’s not me; it’s my aunt Shoshana. She always told me to call her if anyone ever can’t pay their electric bill.”
Rafi got home and called this lady “Aunt Shoshana” to thank her. Aunt Shoshana said, “Ten years ago, I had just lost my husband, and I was widowed with five kids and couldn’t pay my bill. Some angel out of nowhere raised the money in two hours for me!! What an amazing power of the Jewish people. I told myself that I would do the same for people struggling with their electric bills when my financial situation was better. I don’t know anything about the boy that helped me, just that his name was Rafi.” Rafi told her that he was the boy who helped her ten years ago. They both started to cry and wished each other heartfelt blessings because they recognized the beauty of Am Yisrael, who always look out for each other and are eager to be inspired to serve Hashem.
Reprinted from the Parashat Bamidbar/Shabuot 5785 email of Jack E. Rahmey based on the Torah teachings of Rabbi Amram Sananes.
