The Human Side of the Story

For the week ending 20 May 2006 / 22 Iyyar 5766

Reward for Patience

by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach zt'l
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Taking care of his mentally unstable grandmother in the geriatric ward of the hospital was a very taxing task for the young man. Although she was unreasonably demanding and sometimes violently so, he managed to maintain his composure and to treat her with the greatest respect.

One day, while he was visiting her, she could not find her false teeth. She shouted at him, accusing him of stealing her teeth. When he tried to explain that he was innocent, she gave him such a resounding slap in the face that he felt as though he was about to lose his own teeth. He nevertheless suffered in silence and helped her locate the lost teeth.

A patient in a nearby bed was so impressed with the behavior of this young man that she decided to suggest him as a matrimonial prospect for a relative, a girl from one of the most respected families in Israel.

The shidduch worked out and on the first day of their marriage the young couple went to visit the grandmother whose patience-inducing slap brought them together.

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