I remember the first time Sarabeth came to meet me. Depressed and angry she told me that her husband had taken their money and left her and her three children with nothing– not even a place to live. I assured her that each of her children would have a bar mitzvah at Sinai Temple. Years went by, Sarabeth rebuilt her life. The kids had their simchas. On one uneventful day I hardly recognized the beautiful woman who came to my office and offered to repay the synagogue. I refused Sarabeth and told her in time I would need her help for someone else in need.Eight years later, a woman came to meet me who resembled the former Sarabeth. She told me of her plight and how her husband had left her and her four children destitute and homeless. I called Sarabeth on her cell phone. “Sarabeth, I need you now.” Without a moment’s hesitation, she replied, “I will be over in ten minutes with my checkbook.” She never asked me a single question. The details were irrelevant. Sarabeth gave to show God her gratitude for the blessings she had received. Today will I count my riches, or will I make my soul count instead?
Sherre Zwelling Hirsch is a Rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.
