What will choose my path?
On the topic of weddings, I recently heard two stories I would like to share.
Story #1: Rabbi Minsky told this story over at our class' Yud Tes Kislev farbrengen. The story is about Rabbi Chazan (after short contemplation I've decided not to use his real name in case it falls under loshon horah, I have enough on my shoulders as it is). I asked my dad about him to give a little background, my dad knows him as he was both his teacher and work colleague.
Rabbi Chazan is a tomim from Otwosk, not just any tomim, but one of the top students of his time. His ability in learning is incredible, surpassed only by his sincere kindness. He has tremendous talent in music, writing and orating. Rabbi Chazan got married when he came to America to an American girl. When brought up in conversation anybody who knows him will always mention his wife. It seems that her interests were by far different then his own, the ultimate "odd couple." She was the modern type, fun-loving all American girl while he was obviously into more subtle things. From what I was able to make out it seems that she also has a tougher personality (the Rebbe had given him special heterim for sholom bayis purposes).
Rabbi Chazan is an older man now, somewhere in his 80's and in recent years his health hasn't been so good. Rabbi Minsky came to visit him after one of his trips to the hospital. They were sitting in the dining room Rabbi and Mrs. Chazan together with Rabbi Minsky. Mrs. Chazan being a good hostess asked if she could warm up some soup for the guest. Rabbi Minsky consented, after all who can turn down a bubbys soup. When the Rebetzin went into the kitchen to get the soup ready, Rabbi Chazan asked Rabbi Minsky if he could please start the Beineni Niggun (Pretorians 5764 you know how it goes). Rabbi Minsky started the niggun and together they sang.
Rabbi Minsky described what happened, "as we were singing Rabbi Chazan started to cry, tears were streaming down his face. We were still in the middle of the niggun when his Rebetzin walked in, she put down the soup in front of me and then she too started crying. She looked at me and said, "do you know why he's crying? He's crying, because he married me, he's a Tomim and he married me". Rabbi Chazan tried consoling her telling her that of course that wasn't true and we then continued singing with the 2 of them crying".
That's the end of the first story.
Story #2: Rabbi Y. Jacobson told this story over during a chassidus shiur.
An elderly man was at the Doctors office for a checkup. After the Doctor saw him he told him that he should come back the following week there was something he wanted to check out. On the way out the man went over to the secretary to schedule the follow up appointment. The woman looked up the Doctors schedule and told him that there was an opening the next week at 9:30 in the morning.
He told her, "I'm sorry, but at 9:30 I eat breakfast with my wife."
"Well," she replied, "why don't you tell your wife that next week your going to have to push off breakfast by an hour or so".
"I can't," he answered, "you see my wife is living at a senior center, a few years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimers and she wont understand if they tell he that I'll be late".
The secretary a bit puzzled asked, "if she has Alzheimers then whats the big deal? She doesn't know who you are anyways".
The elderly man looks at her with tears welled up in his eyes and says, "
she may not know who I am, but I still know who she is".
After 60 years of marriage will I have to dry my wifes tears, because shes afraid that I don't love her, convincing her how happy I am that I married her? Or will we reach the Utopian island of "unconditional love"?
2 people, 1 journey, 2 endings.
What will choose my path?
