Dreaming of Moshiach

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Priorities in Life

They were a religious family, living in NYC. The parents gave their 2 sons everything they wanted, plus a religious education. When the sons reached the age of 16-17, the mother wanted very much for the sons to go to college to learn a profession. The father would not hear of it, claiming that college has students of mixed genders and nothing good can come out of sitting in a classroom full of boys and girls. But the wife kept persisting, trying to convince her husband that a college education will give the sons a finanically secure future.

After 6 months of his wife's constant nagging, the husband caved in.

The wife registered her 2 sons into a popular college and each son chose which courses they'll learn. During the college years, the kipa became smaller until it became non-existant, the jeans took over the pants, haircuts became an occassion to celebrate, and the white shirts became t-shirts of all colors. The older son started going out seriously with a classmate, a Japanese girl. The younger son was even worse, because he had no interest in women, and never got married, till today.

The father was heartbroken but it was too late to fix the tiny error, of allowing his sons go to college. His older son got married to his Japanese girlfriend, had 5 non-Jewish children with her, and is a stockmarket broker . The younger son never bothered to get a haircut and the length of his hair is every woman's dream. They both became financially independant from their parents. From time to time, they would pick up the phone to say hello to their old father and that was the limit of their 'visit'.

As the father aged and got ill, he had no one to look after him. He was placed in a home for the elders. He had one visitor that would come weekly, his best friend from the Yeshiva. The father knew that his days are numbered on earth and begged his best friend, 'don't let me be buried without saying Kaddish for me, PROMISE ME!'. The best friend works at Chevre Kaddishe and he promised the father that Kaddish will be said for him.

The father passed away, zs'l, and the best friend called the 2 sons to let them know. Out of respect for the father, the 2 sons agreed to attend the funeral.

The best friend arranged 8 men, including himself for the minyan to say the Kaddish during the funeral. When the 2 sons showed up to the funeral, and it was time to say the Kaddish, the sons refused. Their claim was that praying is 'vodoo' and they are not into vodoo. They left their father's funeral without saying Kaddish for his neshama.

This is the result of one tiny mistake...

The best friend found 2 other Jews who participated in the Minyan to say the Kaddish for the broken-hearted father. The funeral took place yesterday.

If you can, please study Mishnayot, and/or say Tehillim, and/or light candles for iluy nishmat of Shlomo ben Yaakov Aryeh.

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והיה השם למלך על כל הארץ, ביום ההוא יהיה השם אחד - ושמו אחד ישתבח שמו לעד לנצח נצחים בכל העולמות Blessed is His name for eternity in all worlds אין עוד מלבדו