By Rabbi Boruch Brull
Rabbi Raphael Mendlowitz was shopping for Hanukah presents for his children at a large toy store in Maryland. He noticed a father and daughter also buying toys for Hanukah. They had already filled their cart with some toys, and the young girl was busy looking for a few more. The girl picked up a doll and asked her father, “Does this cost too much?”
Her father replied, “No, it’s fine. You may have it.” The girl put it into their cart and then picked up a second doll. She asked her father if she could buy that doll too. “Sure,” said her father, and the girl dropped the doll into their cart.
R’ Mendlowitz’s attention was drawn to a father and son who were also shopping for Hanukah presents. The young girl with the dolls was also listening to their conversation. They overheard the boy begging his father to buy him a remote-control car. The father told his son it was too expensive, but the boy persisted. ‘Please, Tatty,” he pleaded, “this would be the best Hanukah present I ever got! Please buy it for me!”
“You know we can’t afford it,” his father said. “Let’s go over to the last aisle and you can pick out some nice stickers.”
The boy sadly walked away. The young girl turned to her father and said, “I’ve decided I don’t want the second doll.” She put it back on the shelf and walked over to the next aisle, where she picked up the remote-control car that the young boy had been eyeing and put it in her cart.
Whispering Something Into the Cashier’s Ear
A few minutes later, Rabbi Mendlowitz was waiting in line to pay for his purchases. In front of him were the girl and her father. He watched as the girl handed over the remote-control car to the cashier after her father paid for it, whispering something into his ear. The cashier put the car under his counter. Rabbi Mendlowitz paid for his toys and watched as the man and his son, who were standing behind him, prepared to pay for their stickers.
Suddenly, the cashier began shouting, “Congratulations! Congratulations! You are our one-thousandth customer this week! You have won a brand-new remote-control car! He reached under the counter, took out the car, and handed it to the boy.
“My Best Hanukah Present Ever!”
The boy looked startled, and then his face broke out in a huge smile. He jumped up and down and shouted, “This is my best Hanukah present ever!”
Rabbi Mendlowitz noticed the girl and her father smiling at each other as they left the store. He was very moved by the beautiful act of kindness that he had just witnessed. Coincidentally, Rabbi Mendlowitz’s car was parked right next to the car that belonged to the father and daughter. As he walked to his car, he overheard the father say to her, “That was a very nice thing you just did. You know, though, that Grandma and Grandpa really sent you money for Hanukah to buy toys for yourself.”
“Giving that Car to that Boy Made Me Happy!”
The young girl turned to her father and answered, “Grandma and Grandpa said that I should buy whatever would make me happy, and giving the car to that boy made me happy!”
What a wonderful lesson we can all learn from this young girl. Sometimes you can enjoy a gift more by giving it away to someone else than by having it yourself. (Excerpted from the book – “For Goodness’ Sake”)
Reprinted from the Parashat Shelah 5784 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace.
