Zechusim

Props! There’s tonz you can do!! Check up Chai lifeline, Mikimi, Tomchei Shabbos, Aishel, oorah… The list is endless!

But I know what you mean, when I drive, I try driving down the same street as the city bus route so I can give ppl a ride, sometimes though the people got to understand that you might not have the time to take them directly where they need to go

if I see a meter maid coming and the persons meter is expired I’ll pop a quarter in for them so they don’t get a ticket.

jam19 – I think that’s being done with much enthusiasm on this site.

All kidding aside, you are correct!

oomis1105: I thought this turn of events looked familiar:

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/out-of-the-mailbag-jewish-kindness

I remember reading this previously, and thinking at the time how this type of thing really does happen more often than we think. I think it is so wonderful when we do acts of random kindness for others, Jewish or not. it makes a real tikkun in this olam.

“Ultimately, our role is to help the entire world, not to knock others.”

ICAM, PY, but unfortunately not everyone seems to see it the same way as we.

“Unfortunately, the mod linked back to your previous posting of the story and I was confronted with some truly horrifying responses to your story.”

I saw those responses, and to be honest, I feel the posters really don’t have a clue about how to act in relation to non-Jews. Any act of kindness that we show to a non-Jew is of benefit, if only because it makes US better people, just through the act of doing something nice for another person. Kal V’chomer it is a good thing when the non-Jew clearly recognizes that his benefactor is a frum Jew. My belief in this was validated even further by the fact that Hashem chose the similar type of people whom my husband helped to be the vehicle for our s’char mitzvah by helping him in turn.

There is a story told (not sure if it is true or just told as an object lesson) about a Jew who lived next door to a German in Germany. They were not friends, but every day when the saw each other outside, the Jew would smile and say, “Good morning, Herr Schmidt” (I am not sure of the names, so I am making them up), and although clearly ill at ease, Herr Schmidt would nod his head, “And to you, Herr Goldberg.” This went on for a long time, with neither man taking the relationship further than this daily civil exchange. Then came the Nazis, and Herr Schmidt became an SS officer. Herr Goldberg and his family were taken away and were taken off the trains at the camps as the SS was sending people to the left or the right. Herr Goldberg’s family’s turn arrived, and the officer looked up about to flick his hand in a dangerous direction, when Goldberg suddenly said, “Good morning, Herr Schmidt.” SS Officer Schmidt, without missing a beat, said, “And to you, herr Goldberg, ” and motioned him and his family to life.

Chas v’shalom, that we or any of our loved ones should ever need to depend on the “chessed” of such a man as Schmidt. But the fact is, Hashem wants us to show kovod habrios, not merely kovod ha yehudim. That is how I was raised, and I have never regretted being a mensch “even” to a non-Jew.

It is of course necessary for everyone to be mentchlich with anyone – including a nochri.

Nevertheless, as Matisyohu28 eloquently pointed out in the previous thread, “we are created vastly different from goyim, spiritually, and somewhat different (according to the Chasam Sofer) physically. Unless there is an element of kiddush hashem, giving presents to goyim bechinam, or going to great lengths to do chessed is, at best, not advisable, and at times, assur. For example, by hashovas aveidah there is merely a Heter to do hashova if there is a kiddush hashem – if there is no kiddush hashem, it is assur to return items to a goy. It is however, a chiyuv if there will be a chillul hashem resulting from not returning it.”

oomis1105-

You’re welcome.

My wife has the book, and I must’ve read it, because the gist of story and the phrase “good morning herr rabiner” stuck in my mind. Googling the phrase showed the precise location.

In cases like this, I would aim to be extra careful to make a kiddush hashem, rather than the other way around

I am SO with you, on this one! Of course there is the fear that by having cordial relationships with non-Jews, it will CH”V lead to intermarriage. That surely is a legitimate point. But the enmity that erupts when a Jew interacts in a dishonest or nasty way with a non-Jew, can do more damage than anything. Wherever we live, we live with the tolerance of the non-Jewish world. Perhaps we don’t like to think that, but historically it has always been true. we lived in every society, building their economy up, under their sufferance, until Hashem decided, “genug,” and we were A) exiled, b)murdered, or c)enslaved. It would be so wonderful to not have to worry about our relations with the nochri, but the fact is we are not in our own land, and we are only safe here for as long as Hashem deems it so. And so, as with Herr Rabiner, it is not a bad thing to always act with menschlechkeit to ALL people.

One of the easiest, most effective chassodim we can do is to smile at a person and wish them a good day, whether passing them in a street, or handing them the toll money, and especially when someone comes home for dinner. We don’t realize sometimes how that can lift the other person’s spirits as well as our own. Simple yet powerful.

Be friendly and kind to ppl. Even if you don’t know them. Belive me, a kind remark goes a long way… I have been on both ends.

If someone is stuck on the road- don’t just pass if you have time to help.

If I see a bus trying to pull out or a car, I try to let them in front of me

When parking, I almost always try to pull up all the way to make room for another car. Thank you so much to those who do it for me too!

ALSO>>> very important… when doing chesed for ppl, do it in a way that they don’t feel like a nebuch situation. It’s hard to take chesed too. I recently had to take favors from ppl and I felt so uncomfy yet in some cases they made it like I was doing them the favor (not fakely but in a real way) and other times I felt like thanks but I dont need your favor.

Mods what in earth are you doing up at this hour??? I thought I was the only insomniac in the CR now!!!! I guess you are tired cuz you posted me two times 🙂 Did you drink too much coffee????