Hidden Quarters
Rabbi Yoel Gold relates the following story. He was shopping at a local Jewish supermarket in LA and as he was checking out he heard someone calling his name. He turned around and saw a woman running towards him. She said, ‘Rabbi Gold! I have a great story for you.’ Now, as someone who is an accomplished and inspirational storyteller, he has people coming up to him all the time and sharing poignant and uplifting personal anecdotes. For him stories are like prime real estate! So he put his bags down and told her he is all ears.
She explained that her young daughter had been strolling down La Brea Avenue, the main thoroughfare in LA. She was walking past a Young Israel and she saw an officer issuing a ticket to a car that was parked by an expired meter. She looked at the car, the officer and the Synagogue and realized that it must belong to someone davening Mincha right now in the Young Israel. She knew he wouldn’t be able to come out in the middle, so she ran to the officer and advocated on his behalf.
She explained that the driver is most probably praying in the Synagogue and is not going to be able to come out. ‘Do you mind if I put in a quarter in his behalf?’ The officer was very impressed with the girl, turned to her and replied, ‘You’re in luck! I haven’t printed the ticket yet.’ So she puts in the quarter and the officer walks on.
Rabbi Gold thanked the women, ‘Wow that is a wonderful story, it is a reflection of the beautiful education you have invested in your child.’ He was about to walk away when the woman said to him, ‘Rabbi Gold, where are you going?!’ He was surprised – the story’s not over? ‘No!’ she responded. ‘My daughter decided to wait to see whose car it was. Possibly she had been wrong, maybe it wasn’t connected to the synagogue, perhaps it was someone who had gone to eat in one of the restaurants further down the block. But it turned out she was correct and after ten minutes people filed out of the Young Israel and the owner headed to his car. And Rabbi Gold, you won’t believe this… it was your car!’
Rabbi Gold says that he bought a gift card for this girl, went round to her home to say thank you, and it started him thinking; who else in my life has been ‘putting quarters in my meter’, getting me out of trouble that I didn’t know I was even in?
So many people to thank, so much to be thankful for!
Love it!