The Pittsburgh Eleven

"Who me?" 
 "Yes!" What is your Dad's Hebrew name?
  "A...a...a...Hershel." 
   Unsteadily I approached the Torah. The Rabbi smiled and shook my hand. To my left stood the rabbi. He smiled and shook my hand. The little man with whiskers, wearing the colors of the orthodox black began with my help to open the holy book. I took a string from my prayer shawl and touched the silver pointer of  the Rabbi Aron Berkowitz. Her reads several paragraphs as I try to follow. Then I read the morning prayer from a sheet in front of me.
    It is Saturday the third of November. I feel chipper today since I dropped off a cashiers check to the office of my apartment. Chabad of Huntington Beach is off of Warner, a block east of Bolsa Chica. I had taken up my seat at about ten o'clock. There area about eleven worshipers in attendance. 
    Afterwards, a take a deep breath it is over, but not quite. The Gabbi looks my way. 
     "Who would you like to pray for, Ben Hershel?"
      "You" I react without thinking.? 
       "No not you!" Something turns me to the congregation. The words fumble out of my mouth. A tear empties on my shirt. 
     I pray that the friends. sons, daughters of the Pittsburgh Eleven. I pray that soon the anger with its resentments will Make our nation stronger.  
      I thought about my own daughters and how I would feel.  My oldest daughter never fails to tell me that she is always shocked as to whatever comes out of my mouth, and usually has to blush. But this time I must have hit a chord, the right one. This congregation understands a little English so the Gabbi needed to translate for me. Rabbi Aron was at his best today as he spoke about the burial of Sarah. It was one of his best talks.
    "Sarah lived to be 127 years old and her husband traveled to Hebron to make a deal with the its king, Ephiron. Abraham wished to part with a money in exchange for land next to Hebron. 
     "No, you and your family are one of us. Just take it. I don't wish your money." 
      Abraham was a man of few words. He paused and then demanded that he should make some payment. Abe was no stupid. He knew it would not be a contract without  a sum of money. The King thought for a few moments and then asked for 400 pieces of gold. Abraham without so much as a pause gave him the 400 pieces. 
      "You see that Abe had an eye for the truth whereas the King dwelt with things and property. Abe, several years later joined his wife." 

Several people spoke to me during the kiddish. Of course what comes from the heart is more real that a contrived speech. 


Nuts and Bots for Today:  Stand tall and never give up any ground.