End of the Circle

Picture from Lubavitch Archives

Through out Sukkos I spent time helping other Jews say the blessing on the Lulav and Esrog . . . Nothing out of the ordinary for a Lubavitcher.
Amongst those I met was an Israeli lady who shook Lulav for the first time in her life . . . One between dozens of others that day.
Last night when eating at a local falafel restaurant I realized that this lady was working there.
When I asked her if she had made the blessing on the Lulav and Esrog with me the last week, she realized that she had and let me know how touched she had was that she had a chance to do a mitzva . . . She thanked me again before I left.
At times we forget how our actions effect others . . .
A few short seconds of my time have butterflied into an indelible mark in her life.

I often wonder to what extent what I do is felt through out the world.
From a spiritual perspective -in the higher spheres- I have no doubt.
When it comes, however, to what can be noticed in this world . . .
Several years ago, also during Sukkos, I helped man the Sukkah on Bruin Walk in UCLA.
A group of Japanese tourists stopped and watched us with rapt fascination.
After a few minutes I turned to them and, considering myself to be a Japan-buff due to a Seventh grade term paper I wrote on the country, said
"こんにちは"
(Or at least that's how Babel Fish says to write Konichiwa -hello)

They became quite exuberant and, in fitting with the stereotype, all produced digital cameras.
Mistakenly, I thought that they wanted me to take their picture in front of the Sukkah, however it was soon made clear that instead they wanted there pictures to be taken with me.
One at a time they lined up next to me and posed, all making the v-sign . . .
I wonder what happened to those pictures, who will see them and the like.




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