Seventh Day of Passover

Tonight we celebrate the Seventh Day of Passover, which is a holiday in its own right - the ending day of the holiday of Passover. I don't have much time to write now, so just a few short words about the whole holiday of Passover.

1. A true story: There is a big, successful, famous bakery in Israel, in the city of Jaffa near Tel Aviv, owned and managed by an Arab owner, Said Abulafia. Every year, they kept the bakery open during the seven days of the holiday of Passover, and sold Chametz (unleavened bread) to non-observant Jews. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Stauber, who saw this, felt a lot of pain. He turned to the owner and told him that he will pay him the entire sum of money that the bakery makes during that week, if the owner promises to close the bakery during the whole week of Passover. The owner had nothing to lose from this deal, so he agreed. He closed the bakery for the whole week of Passover, and enjoyed some free time to do his own things and to do some renovations in the bakery. The same story repeated itself the following year. Rabbi Stauber paid for a whole week of revenues, and the bakery was closed during Passover. After a few years of doing this, Mr. Abulafia turned down the rabbi's offer. He said: "I do not need to take money away from you". "Why?", asked Rabbi Stauber, sure that the owner of the bakery wants to open it on Passover. But the answer shocked him - Mr. Abulafia told him that since they started with this deal, the revenues of the bakery throughout the year became so great, he felt the blessing of G-d, and he didn't need the money incentive from the Rabbi to close the bakery on Passover. It's wonderful. I checked it with them before posting it here, just to be sure I'm giving the correct information. And the pictures speak for themselves (see below). This is how peace will come to the world. On the outside of their bakery, during the week of Passover, there is the a sign (you can see in the picture), which tells the whole story and is written by the bakery owner. The message of this is: If you help the Jews fulfill their mission in the world - help them observe their G-d given commandments, G-d will bless you.

Rabbi Stauber with Mr. Abulafia

2. I was impressed to see that at the entrance to the Hadassah Hospital, the guard doesn't look only for weapons, but also for Chametz. All chametz products that he finds are kept outside of the hospital gates.

3. I visited an older lady who had a stroke. Because of her situation, she had to do the Seder night of Passover at the hospital. She said that religious volunteers came to the hospital, set the tables with white table clothes, brought Kosher food and led the Seder in such an impressive, festive way. I am so impressed. There are good things done in this country. 

Shabbat shalom, and Chag Sameach!

R.