Rav Mendel Kaplan was once approached by a stranger holding a foreign coin. “You look like a knowledgeable person,” the non-Jew told him. “Do you know where this coin is from?”
Rav Mendel admitted that he did not, but he made a pencil rubbing of the coin and took down the man’s telephone number, promising to get back to him with an answer.
What would any of us have done in such a situation? In all likelihood, we would have been polite, but we would not have taken the slightest interest in a stranger’s trivial question. Certainly we would not have exerted ourselves to contact him later with a reply.
What motivated Rav Mendel? Presumably, the answer lies in a statement he was fond of making: “I try to act like our ancestor Avraham. He had a reverence for every creation” (Reb Mendel and His Wisdom, ArtScroll Publ.).
Being sensitive to the importance of kiddush Hashem and having it constantly at the forefront of our consciousness will enable us to feel true respect for all human beings. This awareness will help us to see the potential of every human being to bring honor to Hashem; we will believe in other people, just as we believe in kiddush Hashem. And by treating others with respect and care, we will bring out the best in everyone we meet.
Reproduced from Living Kiddush Hashem by Rabbi Shraga Freedman with permission of the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
