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in."
It was about ten-thirty when I finally knocked on his door. I heard a weak voice say, "Come
I opened the door. The shades had not yet been opened; the room was in semi-darkness.
There was his breakfast tray on the night stand. It had been there since eight o'clock; everything on
it was cold. This was surely a bad way to begin to witness to a rabbi. I thought, "Dear Lord, help
me. Forgive me, Lord."
To my patient I said, "O Rabbi, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I forgot that I was supposed to feed
you at eight o'clock. I know your breakfast is cold."
"Never mind, never mind," he said. "Just feed me, just feed me."
His stroke had left his right hand useless and his whole right side was paralyzed.
"Rabbi," I said, "let me go down to the kosher kitchen and fix you fresh eggs, fresh toast,
and fresh coffee. It won't take me but a few minutes. Please let me."
"No, no, never mind, daughter," he said in a very quiet, patient manner. "Never mind,
daughter. Just feed me."
"O Rabbi, you're so patient."
"Only on the outside, daughter. Only on the outside."
That morning I was happy he was patient on the outside. I fed him and we began to talk. I
quoted scriptures. Being a rabbi, he knew the Old Testament better than I. I mentioned never a
word to him about Jesus. That I was Jewish he knew well. I helped him bathe and get into his new
pajamas. My order sheet said that after this was done I should call the aides, two strong girls, who
would put him in a wheelchair.
So I said, "I'll call the girls and they'll get you in a wheelchair."
They came and put him in a wheelchair while I continued making his bed. My back was
hurting me quite severely that morning. (I often had to wear a brace for it.) Nevertheless I was on
my knees so that I could put tension on the sheet and tuck it underneath the mattress.
I said, "See, Rabbi, I am serving you on my knees. And yet not you. I'm really serving the
Lord while I'm making your bed."
"Good, daughter, good. Yes, this is a service you are doing unto the Lord. This is a great
mitzvah. [This word means "a good deed that would merit forgiveness of sins," as far as the
Jewish people are concerned.] This that you are doing is a great mitzvah," he repeated, "but let me
tell you something -- sometimes I get on my knees too when I'm alone, and pray, but nobody knows
it." (Commonly the Jewish people do not kneel. The men stand when they pray, their hands
extended heavenward, their bodies swaying as they all chant in unison.)