Hello from Yerushalayim!

I just wanted to share something that happened today that really made me feel uplifted and inspired.

I took a cab this morning to the seminary that I was visiting, and when we were about halfway there I realized that I had left my wallet in the hotel. I was rather embarrassed, and I asked the driver to take me back to the hotel (at my expense) so that I could get my wallet and pay him at the end of the ride. But instead of turning around, he told me that he didn’t want to waste my time or money driving all the way back again. Instead, he would take me to my destination, and when I would be ready to leave I should call him and he’d come and bring me back to the hotel, and at that point I could get my wallet and pay him.

I was taken aback by his suggestion. Granted, he would benefit from getting the second fare, but how does he know he can trust me to actually call him and pay him later? I tried to refuse, but he was adamant. Shortly before we arrived at the seminary I found 40 shekel in a separate pocket, which was 3 shekel more than the fare. It made me very uncomfortable to know that I’d have absolutely no money on me, but of course I told him that I found enough money in my pocket to pay him. Instead of taking the money, he told me that I should keep it in case I needed to buy something, and he’d wait for me to pay him later. He then handed me his card and drove off.

What are the chances of something like that happening in New York? Only in Israel have I ever experienced anything like that. Although the stereotype is always of the brusque Israeli, I don’t think it is accurate. I think that people are more connected to each other here and look out for each other more.

I can’t close my thoughts without telling you about another, similar incident. Last year on my trip here I took a cab to a seminary in Beit Shemesh. On the way there we passed the cemetery Eretz haChaim, and I mentioned to the driver that my grandparents are buried there and I haven’t been to their k’voros in 8 years. He offered to take me into the cemetery on the way back so that I could go and say some Tehillim. Sure enough, on the way back he reminded me of his offer. While I didn’t say so, I was a little concerned about how much extra he was going to charge me for the stop. So I told him thank you, but not this time; I also didn’t recall the exact location of their graves. He looked at me and said, “Don’t pass it up. We’ll go in to the office and ask where they are buried, and it will be on me – I won’t charge you anything for the stop. The important thing is that you have the opportunity to say a couple of perakim of Tehillim at your grandparents’ k’voros.” And at his insistence, I found their gravesite and with much emotion said some Tehillim. What a wonderful gift he gave me!

How lucky klal Yisrael is to have cab drivers like this. מי כעמך ישראל!