The 2 Checks

Reaching Out

My secretery showed me two checks.

Both were for the modest sum of $18 with no note attached to indicate why they were being sent.

The signature resembled more of scribble than letters and my assistant asked me if I could make out the hieroglyphics.

I could not decipher the coded signature, however, there was a phone number on the checks and I decided to call the mystery person.

I dialed the number. A woman’s voice answered.

“Hello, this is Rabbi Eisenman, how are you today?”

“Rabbi Eisenman (with more than a tinge of disbelief in her voice), what a surprise; why… is everything alright?”

“Of course everything is fine. I was just calling to find out how you are doing?”

“Oh, that’s so nice of you; I am fine and how is the Rabbi doing today?”

“Baruch Hashem, We received two checks from you.  The signature on the checks is a little unclear. Could I trouble you to spell your last name for me so we can place the checks under your account?”

“It’s spelled Cooperstein (changed for privacy). However, you will not find me listed in your system as I never contributed to the Shul before and I am not a member.”

“I don’t understand. If you are not a member, why send the checks and why two separate checks?”

Sarah Cooperstein lived across the street from the Shul.

She had occasionally attended a shiur; however, she was not one of the regulars. I had met her before; however, our conversations were brief and somewhat superficial.

Sarah said, “I sent the checks to thank you for what you did for me last Tuesday”.

I was totally mystified. I can usually not recall what I ate for breakfast; I had no recollection of having any interaction with Sarah Cooperstein last Tuesday!

I quietly asked, “What happened last Tuesday?”

“Last Tuesday you saw me as you were walking home from Shul in the morning”

Suddenly, I did recall it. I had noticed Sarah walking from her apartment to her car.

“I was having such a tough morning. I had slept through my alarm. My mother was a giving me a hard time for being too picky on finding a husband. I pressed the Keurig button to make a cup of coffee and forgot to put a cup under the spout and realized that it was my turn at the office to fill the urn!

I rushed out of the house thinking, “My life is going all wrong.”

As I am wallowing in self-pity I notice you walking home. You looked up at me and waved, and you nodded.

You have no idea how that wave changed my day.

 I said to myself, “The Rabbi, waved to me; I can’t believe it. Maybe today won’t be so bad after all.”

And you know what? The day was fine and it was all because of your wave.

 That’s why I sent the checks. One for the Shul and one for the Rabbi’s Fund; it was my way of saying ‘thank you’.”

I listened to Sarah Cooperstein’s story and did recall seeing her and waving; however, at the time I certainly had no intention of changing someone’s day!

After I thanked Sarah and hung up I told my assistant that the mystery of the checks has been solved. And then I said to him, “Please make me a copy of the checks”.

Every now and then when I myself feel low and a little down, I take out the page with the copied checks on them and I realize how sometimes all it takes is a little nod and a wave to change a person’s entire day; and I smile and realize today will not be so tough after all.

“If Not Now Then When”- Hillel

Ron Yitzchok Eisenman, Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel, Passaic, NJ