Does anyone know what happened to the story I posted 9 years ago? It was my best Sukkah story.
My second best Sukkah story didn’t happen in a Sukkah but happened over Sukkos- I hope it’s good enough for everyone.
This story took place around the same time that the other story took place for those that read the other story and were inspired by it.
Back then after davening on Shabbos my parents used to visit residents at a nearby old age home while my siblings and I would go home to make kiddush and eat some cookies and cake.
On the first day of Sukkos, after a particularly long davening, I couldn’t wait to get home and eat something. My parents said that we’re all going to the old age home to help the residents make a Bracha on the Arba Minim and shake them. As much as I protested- I lost.
When we got to the old age home one elderly lady looked up, saw us and turned her wheelchair around so that her back was facing us. My Mom warned us that she’s anti-religious and she’s just going to yell at us to go away if we get near her so we should just stay away from her.
I was thinking that if I’m in a lousy mood I may as well put someone else in a lousy mood.
Heading straight towards her, I was about to lean over and ask her if she wanted to make a Bracha on the Arba Minim when she looked up at me and a huge smile appeared on her face.
“Would you be able to help me make a blessing on that”, she asked.
After I helped her make the Bracha and shake the Lulav and Estog she asked if I could sit down so we could talk.
She grew up in a town called Dubno (I think it’s in the Ukraine) and although she was Jewish her father was very anti-religious and would beat her or her sister if they ever asked about or observed anything that had to do with Judaism.
Early one morning she looked out the window and saw a Chassidish person walking past the house holding the strangest thing she ever saw. Tiptoeing out of the house she ran up to him and asked him what it was. After explaining it to her he offered to help her with the Bracha and she then shook the Lulav and Esrog. She then asked the man to wait a minute while she got her sister.
For the next few years, she and her sister would wake up early around Sukkos time (they didn’t know the exact date of Sukkos) and look out the window waiting for the Chassidish person. On the day that he would finally walk by the house with the Arba Minim they’d sneak out of the house- careful not to wake their father- and have the Chossid help them with the Mitzvah.
Her childhood memories of the Yidden of Dubno was fascinating to me and I spent the rest of my time there talking with her.
I’ll never forget the look my family members had on their faces when they finally found me- and even then they literally had to drag me out of the old age home.
On the way home my brother Moshe was bragging at how many seniors he helped with the Mitzvah. Then my other siblings chimed in to say how many people they helped.
“And you Avi”, my father asked, “How many people did you assist”?
With a smirk I said, “Just one…”