“Hi, Yitzy!” Pinny greeted his friend with a huge smile, as the two boys met at the bus stop.
“Hi Pinny!” Yitzy responded excitedly. “I’m so excited for the trip!”
“Me too!” said Binyomin, joining his friends. “This is going to be the best school trip ever!”
The three friends talked animatedly about all of the fun things they were looking forward to on their class’s annual trip. This year they were going to Super Geshmak Fantastic Land - the best kosher theme park in the world!
“Look, a painted bunting!” Yitzy suddenly exclaimed.
“A painted what?” asked Pinny.
“See that colorful bird over there?” Yitzy said, pointing at a tree down the street. “That’s called a painted bunting. It’s really rare to see them in New York. I’m going to get a closer look.”
“But Yitzy,” said Binyomin. “Rebbe Caplan said that everyone needs to be at the bus stop in time and they aren’t going to wait for anyone who is late.”
“It’s fine, I’ll be right back!” Yitzy said, running off to see the bird.
Yitzy approached the tree where the colorful bird was sitting on a branch. True to its name, the bird looked like someone had painted it in brilliant shades of red, blue, and green. Yitzy stood there for a few minutes, mesmerized, before suddenly looking back and noticing that his friends were no longer there.
Yitzy rushed back to the bus stop, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked down at his watch - it was 8:35! The bus to Super Geshmak Fantastic Land had left without him.
“Is everything okay?” came a kind voice, as tears streamed down Yitzy’s cheeks.
Yitzy turned to see an old man approaching him in a wheelchair.
“No,” Yitzy sobbed. “The bus to Super Geshmak Fantastic Land left without me. I walked away to look at a bird and now I’m going to miss the class trip.” Yitzy covered his face with his hands and continued to cry.
“Look at me for a second,” said the man.
Yitzy removed his hands from his face and was shocked to see that the man was missing one of his legs.
The man smiled. “You’re probably wondering what happened to my leg,” he said.
Yitzy didn’t know how to respond.
“Years ago, I got into a terrible car accident. Boruch Hashem I was alive, but the doctors told me that they would have to amputate my leg.”
“That must have been terrible,” Yitzy said compassionately.
“That’s what most people think, but my father always taught us that everything Hashem does to us is for the best. If Hashem does it, no matter how bad it seems, then it is actually good for us, and if we understood why, we would actually thank him for it!”
“Really?” asked Yitzy in wonder. “Even something as bad as losing a leg?”
Beep beep!
Yitzy looked up to see an ice cream truck pull up, driven by none other than his rebbe, Rabbi Caplan!
“Hi Yitzy!” Rabbi Caplan called. “It looks like you missed the bus! I rented this ice cream truck so the boys can all enjoy delicious ice cream on our trip today. How would you like to ride with me to Super Geshmak Fantastic Land? I’ll need someone to taste all of the flavors so we can know which ones everyone will like best!”
Yitzy couldn’t believe his ears! Not only would he get to go on the trip after all, but to ride in an ice cream truck? And to spend the ride sampling all of the ice cream flavors??? This was turning out to be the best day ever!
“Thank you so much, Rebbe!” Yitzy gushed climbing into the front of the truck.
Yitzy paused before closing the door and turned to the old man in the wheelchair. “Wait,” he said. “You didn’t tell me what happened after you lost your leg. How did that turn out for the best?”
The old man smiled. “Well, Yitzy, honestly I don’t know for sure. Hashem doesn’t always show us how things are better. But in Parshas Mishpatim we learn about how if an eved gets hit by his master and loses his tooth, the slave then goes free as a result. Rav Avigdor Miller says that often when something seemingly bad happens to us, it is to ‘free us’ from our aveiros, to give us a kapparah. I can’t know for sure until after 120, but I am 100% confident that if Hashem took my leg, then it is the best possible thing that could happen to me. Have fun on your trip!”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos!
Takeaway:
Hashem is always doing things for our benefit. Even when it seems bad, it is always for our ultimate good.
Let’s Review:
- Why wasn’t the old man sad about losing his leg?
- What does this have to do with an eved kenaani?
