a lesson in unexpected miracles

Another shabbat come and gone, and I spent a long dinner with my rabbi and he shared two miracles that happened recently. The first, I’ll tell today.

The abridged story of a desperate rabbi, an honest man, and the largest Jewish center in North America

You don’t know this, but the largest Jewish center in North America is being built in Los Angeles, thanks to a miracle seed planted in time.

You see, this massive building in Los Angeles was avaible for sale, and the Rabbi wanted to turn it into a Jewish center, but he didn’t have the money (never a problem when you count on miracles) and he did not know the owner.

The Rabbi happens to be a well-connected man, but the owner of the building seems impossible to reach. He asked everyone he could think of but no one knows this owner.

So he goes back to his shul (congregation) and asks his congregation if anyone knows this building owner. Someone does. Let’s call him Smith. And Smith has a pending introduction to the owner, but never had a reason to take it.

“Please meet with him!” says the Rabbi, “and ask if he’s willing to sell the building. But don’t mention that it’s for me.”

Smith says to the Rabbi, “I’ll ask him, but I’m a straight-shooter. I won’t hide who is asking.”

The Rabbi agrees and so Smith goes into the meeting and says what he has to say.

When the owner hears the Rabbi’s name, he demands to set up a meeting.
So the Rabbi brings his family to the owner’s office.

The owner begins to tear up when he sees the Rabbi.

“When my family came to America, we didn’t have a cent. Your father gave my mother a job as a cook and that saved our family.”

I won’t say what number the owner gave to the rabbi, but it was an offer for the building that one does not typically receive. One could consider it a miraculous offer.

And now, the largest Jewish center in North America will be built in Los Angeles.

All thanks to the planting of a seed of kindness with nothing asked for in return.

How the owner ended up with enough money to buy the building in the first place, that’s the story of another miracle. Another small favor with nothing expected in return.

As the Rabbi has said before, we don’t hope for miracles, we depend on them.

But perhaps, from time to time, it’s worth remembering that miracles are not created out of thin air. They are fruits ripened by countless small actions over time.

If you find someone in need, help them. You never know if it will come back to you.

Thanks for listening,
O

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