I spent Shabbat in a family member’s house, where, well, to say the least, have a very, very modest living situation; and with 3 kids running around like powere rangers, I felt suffocated the first 5 minutes of being there. Not to mention the blazing heat, ridiculous humidity, and lack of air conditioning, I didn’t know how I was going to manage.
But not only did I manage to make it through the next 25 hours, I had one of the most enjoyable Shabbats yet in Israel. They lavished me with such kindness and affection, love and care, that I left the house acutely moved by what I experienced.
What I learned is that physical comfort is a luxury but loving kindness is a necessity. Their kindness transformed my entire experience. Simple kind gestures transcend boundaries of race or creed, faiths or cultures. It is the universal language of help to those in need, of love to those alone – the silent message that they are anything but alone.
Mankind can endure many afflictions and sufferings, stresses and strains – but when you remove his kindness – the human situation is unbearable and untenable; you dissolve his humanity and reduce him to a state of animality. But when a man’s whole essence becomes imbibed and imbued with kindness, he reflects his pristine state of being the only creation to be created in G-d’s image.