Good morning Herr Muller

In a queue waiting
to step up to the scales of death was an older Jew, a Rabbi
Rabinovitz, who understood well that his frail frame would serve no
use to these beasts. He knew that his scale should tip to the left.
Before the war, before this madness Rabbi Rabinovitz enjoyed a
tranquil life with his non Jewish neigbours. In fact the Rabbi was
maddeningly polite and would always greet his younger neighbour Herr
Muller with a smile and a tip of the hat. ?good morning Herr Muller?!
He would say, and Muller would respond with a ?good morning herr
Rabbiner!? proud that the Jewish Rabbi paid him such deference. But
then the madness began and suddenly there were no friends for the Jews
and then there were no neighbours and now, now there was a queue for a
scale that inevitably tipped left. As the Rabbi approached the scale,
he dared to look up into the angel of death. Suddenly he stood up
straight, doffed his hat and quietly, imperceptibly, said, ?good
morning Herr Muller?! The scale froze and then very quietly it said,
?good morning herr rabiner? and (make with the hands) tipped right.

Saved by a German

*Story*
It was during the First World War when Solomon Geier, a German Jewish
soldier saw a fellow soldier hit by a bullet and fall to the ground. At
great risk to himself, Solomon jumped out of his bunker and dragged his
comrade to safety where medics saved his life. Solomon returned to fight his
war and never learned the name of the soldier whose life he had saved.

Several decades later, in November of 1938, Solomon and his family applied
for visas to emigrate from Germany, when a late night knock was heard at the
door. In Berlin of the 1930s late night visitors never brought good news so
Solomon could be excused for expecting the worst when he opened the door to
admit a tall Gestapo officer.

Solomon Geier asked the officer? Yes, the trembling Solomon replied. You
won’t recognize me said the officer, but you saved my life in the last war.
I recognized your name when it came up on a list last night and I have come
tonight to inform you that your family, among hundreds of others, is slated
to be deported tomorrow night; make yourself scarce. With that the officer
turned and quickly strode out, turning at the last minute to call “The debt
has been paid.”

Solomon and his family spent the entire night alerting friends to flee to
safety and left the country the very next day. The next night was
Kristalnacht, when many Jews were injured, deported and executed. Solomon’s
single act of saving a life saved his own life as well as hundreds of Jews
and thousands of their descendants several decades later.
The Talmud teaches that charity saves lives.

1938 Chanukah Miracle

It happened shortly after Kristelnacht in 1938 that a Jewish family was
trying to escape Germany on a train bound for Holland. They worried that the
Gestapo agents at the border would find fault with their papers and find an
excuse to detain them. This was the last night of Chanukah and the family
had not had a chance to light the Chanukah candles. When they arrived at the
border a long line of Gestapo agents boarded the train, but as they began to
examine the passports the lights in the entire station went out. The father
of this Jewish family pulled out his Menorah and quickly lit eight candles
in succession.

The lights attracted unwanted attention and the little cabin quickly filled
with unsmiling Gestapo agents. But these agents did not pay the Jews any
attention. They simply used the candle light to perform their duties and
inspected the passports of the train’s passengers. When the last passport
was examined the agents turned to the Jewish family and thanked them
politely for providing emergency lights. So grateful were they that they
forgot to check the passports of the Jewish family thus saving their lives.

As soon as the agents left the train the lights in the entire station came
back on and the train crossed the border.

A modern Chanukah miracle. The lights went out to save this family and so
long as their Chanukah lights burned they were safe. It is truly an amazing
story. But for our purposes this story has a message. So long as the
blinding lights of the station burned the Jew was in danger. So long as the
lights of economic success burn we live in a bubble of illusion that
jeopardizes the true purpose of life. The glittering lights of success blind
us from the inspiring message of life’s true meaning and we continue to live
the illusion. Once the lights go out, the new realization can dawn. The
former false lights are replaced by lights that illuminate the true meaning
of life. The former lights of transient value are replaced by lights that
allow us access to eternity; lights that radiate a heavenly message and
impart a humble truth.

story of king.. hunting with his friend

story of king.. hunting with his friend who always had a postivie “this is good” atitude… the friend prepared the kings gun… didn’t do something right.. king blew off his own finger… the frieND said “this is good”… king furious.. has him locked up… year later king is hunting… captured by cannibals… tie him up… set up the stake for the bar-b-que… they notice he’s missing a finger… rule of cannibals.. can’t eat anyone that is less than perfect.. let him go.. relaizes his frieND saved his life… and that it was good… went to jail and said “you were right”… so sorry what i did to you.. you were my friend.. “this was good”.. how can you say that… if i had not been in jail.. i would have been with you….