Bein Adam Lchavero

Bein Adam Lchavairo is a blog dealing with interpersonal relations within the Jewish community and the interactions of the Jewish and Gentile worlds. We're new. Be gentle.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Are you sincere?

For starters, I am sorry for the lack of posts on my part.

Last night I was reading, and I remembered a story that happened when I was 8 years old:

My Grandfather (It is capitalized for Kavod purposes) was rushed to the hospital, he was having another stroke. From the time I was born he had been having a series of strokes. My brothers, sisters and I, used to always call an 800 number that was called "The Shmiras Halashon Hotline" this site would give a halachah of shmiras halashon (guarding you mouth - from speaking evil, or slander) followed by a story to illustrate the halachah. At the beginning and end of each installment there was an announcement stating that the lesson of that day was for the refuah for different people.

I called the hotline and got thought to an operator. I asked how much it was to dedicate a day for my grandfather. She asked my age, took my phone number and told me that the cost was$15. When I told her that I only had 75 cents, but I can save up to pay them back she gently let me down.

That night my mother called me into her room and asked if I had called the Shmiras Halashon Hotline that day. I told her that I had. She then told me that they had just called the house and told her what I had done. She followed that, with tears in her eyes, by telling me that they decided to dedicate the next day to my Grandfather - for free.

He lived two more years.