Dear Editor, I read the Lakewood Scoop frequently and usually find it informational and entertaining. Last night, I closed my browser with tears of emotion and inspiration.
Mi K’Amcha Yisrael! When I saw the post and many responses regarding mincha minyanim for men who work out of Lakewood (or in the far corners of Lakewood), I could hardly contain my emotions. I realize that these men, who are so diligent about davening b’tzibur, are most likely “simple” individuals; community members that one would pass without a glance. Clearly, from the nature of the posts, most of these people work in non-Jewish or non-religious environments, and in today’s decadent world, they most likely face significant spiritual challenges on a daily basis. Yet, those that posted, who could have so easily taken the “b’dieved” route of davening on their own, are making heroic efforts (often with financial and physical sacrifices to give up much-needed breaks, lose income, limit professional opportunities due to the inviolate nature of this daily commitment and/or work overtime to compensate) to seek out fellow yidden so that they can daven with a minyan. And like I said, these are the “simple” yidden in our community…
May Hashem continue to give these special men and their families the strength to serve him in this most glorious fashion, and bless them with ample parnassah, hatzlacha and all they need!
Signed with the utmost admiration for these true heroes,
Mrs A.B.
(TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected])
Thank you for highlighting the positive. It is so important to remember that there is so much we can be proud of.
To the letter writer – while I applaud your letter for being heartfelt and well meaning, I still take issue with the fact that you – on more then in one instance ‘and hyphenated’ called yidden in our community “simple”. The Chofetz Chaim once said that there is no such thing as a simple yid. Every yid is ‘not so simple’….
Besides even to use your terminology, still how would you know that there’s only simple yidden at those minyanim…
I totally agree with poster #2. Despite all the praise, it sounds condescending to call these Yidden “simple”. There are plenty of serious balabatim who have finished Shas more than once, and many of them sat and learned in kollel for many years until they needed to make a parnassah for their families. Who’s to say who’s more “simple” – the kollel yungerman who isn’t the world’s greatest masmid (or even one who is) and the working man who is moser nefesh to daven every tefillah with a minyan and used every spare minute to learn, whether a kviusdik chavrusa or shiur, and mini-sedarim of pocket mishnayos while waiting on line or CD shiurim while commuting to and from work? Who works harder in his avodas Hashem? We certainly can’t be the judge on that.
I hear the point made in the comments above mine, but I understood this letter differently. Simple is not referred to working vs. learning, but rather lower profile people who don’t make the news. I think about this all the time, every time I encounter true greatness of any sort in any person who is “simple”, as in the kind of person who goes about their lives without fanfare, who you pass by on the street thinking they are ordinary, run of the mill, etc. It gives me so much comfort, warmth and inspiration to know that just like I never knew or would have thought that this person was so special, for whatever reason that came up, there are thousands of others out there, on the surface going about their day and making no waves, but inside there is real greatness that is changing worlds.
Knowing they (you!) are out there gives me comfort when faced with the uglier side of humanity that more often makes the news…
Sorry if this was somewhat incoherent; I wanted to get the point out, but don’t really have time to formulate or edit…