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The Short Vort- “ MCD “ (2/2/12)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Friday the 10th of Shevat 5772 and February 3, 2012
MCD
Moshe Chaim Danzig or as everyone called him MCD, is a special person. He is always picking up the used tissues from the tables. He cleans up the half drunken coffee cups left in the lobby and tapes up the pages of ripped siddurim.
MCD is always the first to say Shalom Aleichem and when someone needs a shoulder to cry on- it’s MCD who is there to provide comfort and encouragement.
When we are kibitzing together I call him Moishele (the) Chesed Doer!
Once, I casually remarked to MCD that he must have had wonderful parents.
He responded quietly, “Rabbi, actually I grew up in a home which today would be termed ‘dysfunctional’.
My parents were not nurturing and Chesed- was no where to be found.”
“How then did you become an Ish Chesed, a man who embodies kindness?”
“I had a good Rebbe who had a great Rebbe; I decided to make my Rebbe’s Rebbe- my Rebbe!”
I was confused and asked MCD to explain.
“Being that I grew up in a challenging home- I decided to become close to my teachers. In particular, my sixth grade Rebbe- Rabbi Stern. He was a true ‘star’ (in Yiddish- a Shtern is a ‘star’). His English was more Yiddish than English and his knowledge of baseball was almost non-existent; however, he was the kindest man I have ever met in my life.
I remember the first week of school; there was an Indian summer and we all sweated away in the classroom. As Rabbi Stern took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, the numbers on his forearm were visible and that tattoo became a tangible connection between the American boys of Brooklyn and the destroyed world of Vilna.
Rabbi Stern was kind to everyone. He always said ‘Tenk You’ to the African-American custodian who changed the bulbs in our classroom. He always cleaned up before Mrs. Specter, the English teacher arrived.
If any boy ever forgot his lunch; Rebbe gave us his lunch.
One day Rebbe came in without his overcoat. He looked frozen. When I asked him what happened, he told me that he saw a homeless person sleeping at the Avenue J subway station so he took off his coat and covered the sleeping homeless man.
I was shocked at this display of Chesed and asked my Rebbe, “Rebbe, you went through Auschwitz. You told us that your entire family including your six year old sister was killed before your eyes. You and your wife have no children. How did you become a kind person?”
Rebbe- looked at me and said, I had the best Rebbe in the world.” “But Rebbe, you told us that you were taken to the camps when you were in 5th grade and that you never had a Rebbe?”
“True Moishele I never had a human Rebbe however; I had the best Rebbe of all.
Pain is the best Rebbe of all.
Through my affliction I realized how capable man is of hurting his fellow man.
In the midst of Auschwitz I made a promise to Hashem that if He will ever free me I will dedicate my life to spread kindness and comfort.
My revenge against the Nazis is by being the opposite of what they became. My pain taught me how much joy and kindness a man can spread. Pain was my Rebbe and it taught me well.”
“From that day on”, said MCD- “I decided to make my Rebbe’s Rebbe my Rebbe. Notwithstanding the pain I experienced at home- I decided to use it as a catalyst for Chesed and kindness. That is how I became a Chesed person.”
I looked into the eyes of Moishele Chaim Danzig and saw G-dliness.