Kiddush Hashem: Letter to Matzav

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shopriteDear Matzav.com Editor,

I was shopping at the ShopRite store in Lakewood, NJ, last week, when I experienced what was a tremendous kiddush Hashem. I had completed my shopping and was wheeling my overfilled shopping cart to my car, when two bags fell out and onto the floor. I am not strong person and had to keep an eye on my two little children as I tried to gather my groceries. Apples were rolling all over the place as I hung on to my wagon to make sure nothing else fell out. I quickly picked up a few larger items that had fallen out. I could not possibly hold onto my kids, and the wagon, and pick up everything that had fallen out. I was out of breath and felt like I was collapsing.

Suddenly, before I blinked, two yeshiva bochurim who had been walking by stopped and began picking up the produce that had fallen. I thanked them profusely, but they weren’t done. They had seen me struggling to push the heavy wagon while keeping my kids nearby. They insisted on pushing my cart to my car, which they did. One of the bochurim picked up my 2-year-old and carried him to the car. When I opened my trunk to put my groceries inside, the bochurim insisted on doing it themselves. They unpacked my wagon and, before I knew it, I was on my way. I offered them a few dollars in appreciation, but they would hear none of it. “It’s our pleasure,” they said smiling, wishing me a good day and waving goodbye to my kids.

People love to talk about “chillul Hashems.” They love focusing on the negative.

Here was a kiddush Hashem that made me proud of our community. Mi ke’amcha Yisroel.

A Proud Eim B’Yisroel


38 COMMENTS

  1. Very nice story thank you so much for sharing it with all of us. Thats what happens when one learns Torah one conducts themself with out recognizing to be a real ben adam tov! Thank you

  2. Not sure why we should be making such a big deal about this? Weren’t these boys just doing what they are SUPPOSED to be doing – acting like a Mensch?! If they had NOT stopped to assist, that would have been a Chillul Hashem. Have the standards we have set for our children dropped so low that we are surprised and feel the need to praise them for living up to basic standards of human decency?

  3. Beautiful and inspirational article! I just have two quick questions –
    (1) Where was your husband to help you? If it was during Seder and he was learning, why were the bachrim not at Seder as well?
    (2) Why do you shop at Shop Rite when there are so many YIDDISH establishments and grocery stores in Lakewood that are mutchening zich for parnasseh…
    Possibly the items falling out of your wagon was Hashem’s way of giving you a message to put the items back onto the Shoprite shelves and go give financial support to the grocery stores of your Yiddishe brothers….
    (There are small Chillul Hashems buried in every Kiddush Hashem…)

  4. It’s not the big things that show who a person is and define the greatness of our nation, rather the small acts of kindness, they are in reality the acts of greatness. These two boys didn’t know this woman and didn’t think of getting credit. However, yes #6 they were just doing what they were supposed to do, and that is why they are so great.
    Thank you #3 for acting like a true torah jew.

  5. so I guess #6 will not be getting any olam haba because after all, arent you anyways supposed to be keeping the mitzvos? I mean after all, you did say naaseh venishmah! (sarcasm!)

    Im yesh Derech Eretz Yesh Torah
    kiddush hashem it most certainly is!

  6. and it was no big deal. It was one of the very few times I was out of the Bais Medrash and it was a opportunity to help someone.

  7. to number six whos scratching his head.
    do we all do whats expected of us? it is a big deal. perhaps to you its expected and “wouldnt everyone do it”? it obviously made a big good impression on someone. i think its a mitzva to be mifarsem this as it is read by more people than we think. if you have children and they do such a thing i surely hope you praise the and not just ignore it and take it for granted. this way these types of chasodim will continue to take place and bring the geulah closer

  8. TO PERPLEXED:
    WHy do you think that her husband learns full time?! Her husband was probably at work!
    Or this story could have happened Friday afternoon. Your comment is foolish, stupid and dumb.
    You are indeed perplexed, but that seems to be the smallest of your problems.

  9. To poster number 6,

    The writer is expressing hakoras hatov. Doing any mitzvah is a kiddush hashem. Even chesed and even when it is expected.

    You should be scratching your head as to why it bothers you when someone expresses hakoras hatov. (Oh I guess because that is expected and you look down on people doing the expected)

  10. i happen to agree with #6 but also agree that it was nice of these bochrim and should be spread around. I am someone who shops at night and dreads buying heavy items as it is so difficult to load them into the car. the only time I can remember someone surprising me and helping me shlep was when someone I knew saw me and sent her husband to help (thanx Elkie). I live in brooklyn not in Lakewood. There are often groups of boys or girls shopping and they are happy to block me while they load their own stuff and it wouldn’t occur to any of them to offer to help. I don’t expect help but it would be nice if all the younger people of today could have the hashkofos of these bochrim. (i think a goy also helped me once)

  11. This story, as it stands, is positive in every respect. Try as I may, and having looked at it from every aspect, the two bochurim acted in a totally exemplary way.

    Then I scrolled down, and started looking at the readers’ comments. These postings are often as interesting as the story itself, and they afford insight into the minds of their writers.

    You can imagine my dismay and puzzlement (that’s why I called myself “Navoch”) at the number of NEGATIVE and DEROGATORY remarks.

    This sad phenomenon is not confined just to this thread. If one takes the trouble to look at a random sample of, say 20 news stories published on this website one will be appalled at the sinas chinam and negativity expressed in the readers’ comments.

    Can someone please explain this?

    All answers and comments will be welcomed.

  12. In response to #8 – Shoprite is also a Yiddishe store (parent company was, maybe still is, unless sold elsewhere, individual stores can also be Yiddish owned) – even if the cashiers may not speak mamma loshen. I know that my local Shoprite has a letter posted around Pesach that they sold their chometz. Sounds Yiddish to me.

    Don’t jump to conclusions. Think before you write please.

  13. #3
    if its true that you were one of the boys and that people consider you at risk then you should just ignore those people and look to find your path in yidishkeit. You have a very good heart and that speaks louder than whether or not you wear a black hat etc.

  14. #8: I was waiting for a negative comment. You didn’t let me down.
    Chas v’sholom we should say something nice about yeshiva bochurim or a Lakewood lady.

    The chillul Hashem here is your lack of being dan l’chaf zechus and not knowing how to admit that it was a nice story, and zehu!

  15. You must first to be a complete ordinary man if you want to be a Jew.
    To be a Jew, presupposes that nothing of purely human qualities is lacking in you. You are long way way off from being a Jew if you have only the qualities which Abraham had developed up till now.
    To be as kind, benevolent, humane, forgiving, unselfish, ungrasping as Abraham has shown himself hitherto is no more than the ideal of what every man, every Noachides should be.
    Rabbi Sh. R. Hirsch Lech Lechu 17:1

  16. I’m with #17 all the way.-Why is it that some people can take a simple matter of someone fulfilling their Obligation of HaKoras Hatov and turn it into their personal soapbox to express their contrary views -just to be contrary?! It’s a simple matter- why complicate it so very,very unnecessarily . “Siyag l’chochma”-etc.

  17. Unzere Yidden patronizing Shoprite?

    A store where the prices are clearly marked? How ridiculous!

    A store with reasonable prices? How absurd!

    Shoprite? Where they remove expired food off the shelves? Unthinkable!

    This Yiddishe froy was purchasing groceries at Shoprite? A store where you can return items-NO QUESTIONS ASKED? How foolish!

    I myself and my fellow Heimishe Yidden much prefer to overpay for stale food that can’t be returned. Just knowing a fellow Yid is making “ah killing” off of me–well, frankly, makes it all worth while!

  18. I am just wondering why everyone feels the need to say if and what they think is right and why she was shopping in shopright get a grip on your selfs and get a job or go learn or do something with your life and stop criticing someone else.

  19. who ever these boys are thank you very much. to the ppl who coment, it was yeshiva boys! how do u know? maybe it was working boys?? i can tell you it was jewish souls and that is what matters. why are we judge by our hats?yamika?shirts?pants? arent we all jewish with jewish blood. someone please help me understand!!!!

  20. very nice article. very nice bochrim. some very dumb commentators. What’s wrong with shopping at Shop Rite? they deserve our business, they cater to our community, have a clean store, long hours, good prices, Kosher products galore, friendly service etc.

  21. to Perplexed:
    you are a classic example of negativity in our midst… your 2 quick questions are examples of looking into a Mitzvah performed wholeheartedly and trying to pry wholes into it..what have you ever done in your life to help someone??

  22. just for #8, i saw a lady drop her groceries i then proceeded to pick them up one by one and throw them in her face, i then pushed her 2 year old to the ground and drove away in her car. hope you enjoyed THIS story., SINCERELY, bored guy.

  23. I had a similar experience. It just was a nice old Italian man in Boro Park, and it didn’t involve a shopping cart inside the store. But he was very nice. He waved off my thanks by saying that was how he was raised.

  24. While I agree with the fact that this was a kiddush hashem, I think that this story represents a somewhat sad state of affairs.
    A news story by definition is a story that stands out. These boys definitely show what Torah learning, and Jewish living is supposed to produce. The fact that this stands out does show that unfortunately many people going through the same system did not turn out the same way.

    Menschen should not stand out in a frum society, they should be the rule.

  25. to #30- i like how you said we’re all jewish with jewish souls and jewish blood. its a beautiful story b/c the 2 boys showed ahavas yisroel. lets all connect with our friends and give eachother positive feedback! and you are right- what matters is not what “type” that were. what matters is that they were doing the RIGHT thing! Something that I and all of us should work on is to accept everybody the way they are. All that matters to Hashem is that we are working hard and trying to be good. Don’t worry- Hashem is smiling down on those 2 boys. Lets bring mashiach by accepting everybody the way thay are, because im sure that’s how we want everybody else to treat us!

  26. People are always looking to change a nice story into something bad!!!!!
    why??????
    we are all so waiting that mushiach should come!!!!!!!!!
    al tiftach peh lesoeten!!!!!
    lets love every jew, and think that whatever they do, they do it with the best intentions!!!

  27. to the person #6 scratching your head: there you go focusing on the negative again! its a nice story and it shows the greatness of our nation!!

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