A few years ago, in Eretz Yisroel, there was a major traffic jam on an Erev Shabbos, and many people could not make it to their destinations in time for Shabbos. A nearby Yishuv (community) heard about this and decided to take action. Many families went out to the highway and invited people in for Shabbos. Without any other choice, the people in the traffic were hosted by families in this Yishuv.
That Shabbos night, a father of one of the families being hosted told his kind host that he preferred not to eat after Kiddush and Challah. The host told him that if he was worried about Kashrus, he can show him that everything in his kitchen had top Hechsherim. The guest replied that this was not the reason. The host pressed him a little to see why he refused to eat. At first he didn’t want to say, but finally, he told him that he was going through a certain difficulty, and he went to see Rav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, about it, and Rav Chaim told him that he needed to do something with Mesiras Nefesh, self-sacrifice.
Rav Chaim’ Suggestion to a Generator for the Shabbos Electricity
He said, “I asked Rav Chaim what I should do, and Rav Chaim told me that I should get a generator for my Shabbos electricity. It was Mesiras Nefesh for me since it cost a lot of money to hook up, but this is what Rav Chaim told me to do, so I did it. This is the second Shabbos of my new Kabalah, so I prefer not to eat from the hot food that is being heated up by your electricity.”
The host smiled and responded, “Actually, I’m happy to tell you that we are relatives of the family of the Chazon Ish, and we happen to be the only people in this entire Yishuv that has a generator! You can feel comfortable eating here because the food is not being heated by any use of electricity!” The man was relieved and delighted. The host then asked, “If you don’t mind telling me, what is the difficulty you are going through?”
Committed to Doing Acts of Chesed (Kindness)
The man said, “I’ll tell you. I have an older daughter in Shidduchim. She is not with us for Shabbos because she loves to do Chesed (acts of kindness), and this week she is spending Shabbos with a Kallah who is an orphan. Rav Chaim suggested that as a Zechus for her, I should take on a Kabalah that is difficult for me.”
The host replied, “That is very interesting, because I have an older son who is in Shidduchim, and he also loves doing Chesed, and he is with the organization Ezer Mitzion for Shabbos, helping them. I wonder if we can maybe make a Shidduch together with our children.”
After Shabbos the information was exchanged and the son and daughter were set up, and Baruch Hashem, after a just a short time, the couple announced their engagement!
Reprinted from the Parshas Chukas 5784 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefillah.
