One Friday afternoon Chaim was on the subway, leaving plenty of time to arrive at his destination before Shabbos. Suddenly, there was a screech . . . the train came to an abrupt halt, technical difficulties. He looked at his watch, there was still ample time to get to his destination.
Apparently, the technical difficulties were quite complicated, and after an hour‐and‐a‐half they still had not been solved. At this point Chaim was starting to get nervous; the hand of his watch was moving quickly and soon Shabbos would be here. Finally, after two hours the train started to move again, with only a short time left until Shabbos.
Just Fifteen Minutes Until Sunset
Chaim made a quick calculation and realized that he was not going to make it to his destination. With about fifteen minutes until sunset, he ran out of the subway station and entered the first building he saw: Tony's Bowling Alley. Chaim asked to speak to the owner and was introduced to Tony. Chaim explained to him that soon it would be a Jewish holy day and he would be prohibited to carry anything. Chaim wanted to know if he could leave his bag with him.
Even though he was not Jewish, he gladly agreed, and Chaim deposited his belongings, including $300, in his office. Meanwhile, Chaim tried to figure out where he was. He found a place to daven, and then walked to the home of a friend, who lived about forty blocks away. Chaim’s good friend was a little surprised to see him but he and his family made him feel welcome in their home.
After the beautiful Shabbos came to an end, his friend drove him back to the bowling alley to retrieve his valuables. Everything was topsy‐turvy inside. It seemed like a storm had hit and everything was thrown all over. Chaim began to realize that he might not get his valuables after all.
“I Am Sure It Is Because You Observed Your Holy Day”
Finally, he found Tony, who had a look of amazement on his face. He explained to Chaim that there had been a robbery in the bowling alley. He took him into his office which had been thoroughly ransacked for any valuables. He said, "They took everything, but did not touch your bag. I am sure it is because you observed your holy day. The Jews are a holy people; may G‐d bless you."
He handed Chaim his bag with the three hundred dollars sitting safely where he had left it.
Reprinted from the Seuda Stories of Shabbos Chayeinu, Parshas Re’eh 5784
