Washington County Bulletin
I am writing to tell you of an incident which happened to me on a wildly snowy Thursday afternoon. On my way home from work in Mendota Heights, my car had already gotten stuck several times. As I reached the unplowed streets of Cottage Grove, I knew I would be getting stuck again. I approached the 80th Street and East Point Douglas intersection, which is very busy. When the light turned red and the wheels lost their traction, I sat there spinning my wheels as many cars and even snow plows went around me without stopping.
All of a sudden, a white passenger van pulled alongside me and several young men dressed in black fedora hats and long overcoats jumped out of the van. Without the benefit of mittens or boots, they selflessly began pushing my car until I got moving again. And it took several of them to push to keep my vehicle moving! The van and passengers went on to follow me to my destination. I was very touched and unable to thank them, because I knew if I stopped again, that I would get stuck again.
I am making the assumption that these young heroes are Yeshiva school students due to their distinctive, formal clothing. The school is doing a very good job teaching the students about basic decency and courtesy. They cheerfully waved at me as I pulled away, trying to shake the snow out of their now wet shoes. They had put themselves at risk dodging other cars that probably couldn’t have fully stopped in that slop. I admire their courage and compassion. What a tribute to the school’s work and their families!
Ann M. Mattson
Cottage Grove
To #34 mt: How dare you decide that it wasnt bittul tora for a kiddush hashem – who gave you the authority to think? You are an extraordinary simpleton who actually believes that whenever a shiksa’s car is stuck in snow, we should shut down our learning and close down the kollel or yeshiva beause the call of the hour is to make a “kiddush hashem”. How pathetic! You don’t have any clue what kiddush hashem means! Do you think kiddush hashem means spending time from avodas Hashem to make “nice nice” to any goy in need?! Indeed you are… Read more »
When one learns Torah he can be potur from tfilah. While learning, one does not need to give an onie tzedaka (because one is being oysek b’mitzvah).
I know that each day when I am mechadesh chidushim, HKB”K has nachas (nichoach), as if I was maktir ktores in the Kodesh Kadoshim.
I am on the road of gadlus, a Godal in the making. That is exciting and rewarding in itself. Dedicating my life to immerse myself in chochmas ha’boreh.
i say it wasnt bittul tora for a kiddush hashem.
no, #2, i am impressed. davka that that they stay in the daled amos of tora all the time makes it all the more greater the impact that they went and helped a non jew and made a big kiddush hashem.
I doubt you get much reward for learning Torah if you don’t practice what the Torah says. If the Torah says to help people, help them!
By the way, would you say that it is “bittul zman” to the bochurim who go out every week to put tefillin on complete strangers?
Um, friends, I don’t think this guy (Torah Yid) is for real. I think it’s just some Lubavitcher having a good time. It’s just TOO pathetically Misnagdish. (But I’m glad it was taken seriously. Beautifully true, proud words were spoken in defense 🙂
A final message to these bochurim: If you want to vax oyz to gadlus, learn in a true mokom Torah, be meshamesh talmidei chachomim and realize that torah gives chiyus to the briah. Become a cheftza of Torah, ki hem chayenu – that is our entire mehus, eventually you can become a gavrah and your da’as will become da’as Torah. If you must be a chosid, that is okay. Be a chosid of the RS”O. Listen to a shmuz at least once a week, have a good chaburah and become close to a good mashgiach. If you follow this path,… Read more »
You make it sound like bochurs are going around pushing cards all day! Now I’m going to go try to remember what my Rav says about middos and humility.
This thread showed many of us why moshiach isn’t here yet. There is so much work to do, especially in the “mainstream yeshivish world” that Torah Yid is a part of. What an eyeopening eduction of the hashkofos of “others”. Nebech! Ashreinu that we are chassidim!
what do you call gedolim ? huh? you call a gadol this mr. shach who calls the rebbe ‘ the man who sits in NY anddrives the world crazy” or mr. wienberg who cant daven in a chabad shul cuz they daven to a diffrent bieng. i mean, go to some yeshivishe place and give all your drushis and chidushim there. and by the way ,it DOES say in pirkei avos that action is more important then learning. so YEAH
cool vocab !!!
what does that have to do ?
Those commentators who were making litzonus at me (#2) – I am makpid on the honor of my Torah and I am not mochel them!! My original comment was an act of chesed, to help people appreciate the chashivus of limud hatorah which has supremacy over all else, even “acts of kindness”. People on the fringes of klal yisroel who don’t participate even in a Daf Yomi, lack an appreciation for the Chazal that the entire kiyum haolam was “bais reishis” – for yidden who are oysek batorah. I am in Kollel for life because that is the rotzon haboreh… Read more »
B”H
Haven’t you hear of Gadol torah SHMAYVIE lidai massahe
Great is torah learning for it BRINGS to good deeds
What these bochorim did was a RESULT of their torah learning.
The reason why we study torah is precisely for these moments in life…. to help another Jew.
I heard this story many years ago and I think there was one more point.
After Itche der Shikker told him that he won’t walk, one day, while he was learning, the Rosh Yeshiva felt something crawl up his leg and after that he couldn’t walk. That condition remained for years .
After he was told by the Rebbe to learn Chitas, one day, as he was learning Chitas, he felt something crawling down his leg, and resumed walking.
torah???????!!!!!!!! yid?????!!!!!!!!
it would be an insult if someone was impressed by you
I know the story in no18 is true as i rembered when it happened. I was studying in a Litvishe ~Yeshivah in England when on e of the Maggidei Shiur returned from a visit to Eretz Yisroel. He had visited his father, a world renowned Rosh Hayeshivah who was lying in bed next to Rabbi Chaim Cheikel in the hospital and he told this story.
Mordechai Sufrin.
Thank you for posting that. An amazing story!
when i read that comment from #2 Torah yid, that was the first thing that came to my mind. just set the record straight of chassidim do…
Rabbi Chaim Chaikel Miletzky was the rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Chayei Olam in Yerushalayim. For many years he had suffered from problems with his legs, one of which had gotten so bad that it was paralyzed. The condition eventually worsened to the point that he was confined to bed. The doctors insisted that one leg needed to be amputated. If that didn’t help, the other leg would have to be amputated, too. In 1954 one of Rabbi Miletzky’s daughters was married. The wedding was attended by hundreds of rabbis and yeshiva students. The rosh yeshiva asked to be carried into… Read more »
I don’t know name of yeshivah, but it is run by Mottel and Chaim Friedman, sons of the world famous Manis Friedman.
Obviously they’re doing something right if this is nature of their students. If our negative poster had gone to such a yeshivah, perhaps he would not make such rediculous statements (even in jest, or to provoke controversy).
Anyone know?
How nice of these boys to brave the cold and help out! I am truly impressed. Good chinuch they’re getting out there!
What on earth is wrong with you? What they did was totally the right thing to do. They got a huge mitzvah! and made a kiddush Hashem!
Beautiful Kiddush Hashem!
I am very surprised at your comment. How would you feel if you wrere stranded and people didnt help you because “it’s not important enough – I should be learning Torah now”
Shame on you
You must be a misnaged. I grew up in a misnagdish community and this attitute of yours is one that I do not miss.
How will Moshiach ever come when beautiful articles are posted on these sites and people get this good, warm feeling and comes along a negative, critical grouch to spoil it. It actually takes away from the positive reaction I just felt and I’m sure others agree! Next time jplease just keep your negative energy to yourself!
Of course I am helping everybody by being marbitz Torah hashkofos to set straight the da’as bal habayis (which is hepech Torah). That is not bital zman at all, because Torah is lilmod u’lelamed (learning and teaching / guiding others). Misguided masses need to hear from those who are engrossed in Torah and can enlighten them with emes.
For this woman to have assumed it was Yeshiva boys who helped her – it was definitely a Kiddush HaShem!! and to #2 – next time your Bubbie is stuck, and cars keep driving by her, wouldn’t YOU want a bunch of Yeshiva boys to help her out??
Isn’t it bitul torah to sit on the computer and write comments?!
If anything, the boys were actually helping someone……your not really helping anybody by just sitting on the computer!
I am NOT impressed with you..
First of all, judging by the name of the town, Chaveirim probably doesn’t even exist here.
Second of all, judging by the lady’s name, she probably never even heard of such a thing.
Since when is it a mitzvah to ignore someone who is stuck & leave them in the middle of the road in danger.
Kol hakavod to these bochurim that they thought to stop for her when everyone else just passed her by.
then make a cup of coffee or tea and MAKE time to read this and forget the car
Gr8 job My Yeshiva!!!
Thank you for teaching menchlichkiet to our children!
I am NOT impressed! Have we forgotten what bitul Torah means?? A bochur’s time is kodesh kodoshim – heilig!! Bochurim should be busy learning (or doing mivtzoyim), not “tow truck work”. Chavayrim and similar organizations help people with car trouble. Chesed work is great but learning Torah is far more important. Someone else – a goy or an am ha’oretz or a puste ba’al habos could have helped this motorist. We all know the famous story and the message: When the gvir does the work of the ba’al agola, and the ba’al agalo does the work of the gvir –… Read more »
i had no time to read this but i love the car!!