A group of ten IDF soldiers entered a restaurant in the Galil area. They were clearly deciding what to order, seeking to find an acceptable compromise between satisfying their hunger and their limit budget. At the end, they settled for the least expensive option.
A Satmar chossid was in the eatery with his family, driver and tour guide, at a table not far from the soldiers. He realized their dilemma and told them to just order, that he was going to pay for all of them.
The driver explained he knows the man from New York, and he is indeed a member of the NYC Satmar community. He was pleased and surprised to see the generous gesture, as were the soldiers and other patrons in the restaurant. The waitress ran into the kitchen to tell her colleagues, equally surprised to see the chossid flipping the bill for ten soldiers. The kitchen staff came to the front to see the man, leaving everyone with a smile and one stating the act was nothing less than a Kiddush Hashem.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
30 Responses
Thanks…always nice to see a good article about someone not fitting the expected stereotype!
Oy, you forgot to report “the rest of the story”. Afterwards, the greatful soldiers were chozer bteshuva and now are talimidim in Beis Yoel! 🙂
What Ahavas Chinam!!
One step closer to Mashiach.
That’s a great story
Let’s all try to care about each other
There sure are plenty of people that hate us
Beautiful story. I believe the term is “footing the bill.”
So nice to read something really nice for a change!
R Yoel of satmer always differentiated between Zionists and Zionism – Zionists we must love and draw close like every Jew while Zionism must be rejected…
I’m sure the Jpost will not run this article
Was this in honor of the Rabbi’s 36th Johrzeit? on Ov 26th
Foot. Not flip
I think you meant FOOT the bill.
Flip the bill has other connotations.
The writer mixed up “flipping the bird” with “footing the bill” but it was a good mix up because most satmarers would prefer to flip the bird at Israeli soldiers this one however footed the bill which is quite impressive though it sadly won’t earn him any browney points on Rodney Street.
Satmar’s anti-zionism is based 100% on Ahavas Yisroel – if only the Satmar derech would have been followed, we would have thousands more Jews in the world who unfortunately are no longer here because of the destructive zionist philosophy – every time there is a war in Eretz Yisrael, Satmar davens that Hashem should protect the Jews from danger
This is a beautiful story. There are many such stories of Satmar chasidim helping fellow yidden from all circles.
The truth is that I am really not surprised. I believe that this could happen anywhere in Golus.
We all have to learn from this tzaddik (just imagine how many are influenced by this deed). Lets modern orthodox, chasid, sefardy, yemenite, european, brazillian and who not replicate this great deed. We sgould all be out looking to help another yid! Regardless of affiliation.
Thanks satmar chasid for setting the examplenow ill try to follow!
FRumguy
This ain’t no ahavas chinam! Its my brother! Do you love a brother chinam? Its a in a total different stratosphere. Its ahavah sheina tlua bdavar! Its brotherly love!
Wouldn’t you help hungry people if you could? Sat at has nothing against feeding hungry people. In fact (and I’m not Samar) the sat at chassidim are ones that contribute the most to charity.
Thank you
Thank you, we need news like this every day.
Beautiful, We need more of these stories!
It’s lovely, but not really too surprising.
Satmar is known (even by their detractors) for at least 1 positive attribute. Namely, Chessed/generosity!
Reb Yoel of Satmar Z”L worked hard to instill this trait into the mindsets of his Chassidim and Talmidim.
p.s.
One of his teaching-tactics becomes apparent in the following known story/occurrence:
Beginning back in the early days, the Rebbe placed an obligation on each of his Talmidim/Bochorim to collect Tzedokoh and bring in a certain large sum annually.
(I don’t recall if this money was for the Mosdos, or for the poor. Or both.)
It’s not an easy task collecting in Shuls and from passerby. and too frequently the collectors (young and old) are humiliated by insensitive, tactless (and/or stingy) people.
(When I used to sometimes collect, I was unpleasantly surprised to be sometimes called a “Shnorrer”, in spite it being self-understood that I wasn’t collecting for myself, but rather for a Mosdos-Ha’Torah.)
Well, one wealthy man told his Satmar son that he needs not go collecting. He (the rich father) will cover the obligation and give him (the son) the entire amount from his own pocket, and thereby save him the time and effort, and he won’t have to engage in such an “unbecoming” activity.
When this Bochur gave over the money to the Rebbe Z”L (which was always accompanied by warm blessings from the Rebbe) the Rebbe asked him how did he obtain this money?
So the Bochur told him that his father covered the entire obligated sum.
The Rebbe did not want to accept it.
He insisted that this sum of money come Davka from the Bochur going around collecting it.
So the Bochur’s father (who was very uncomfortable with his “distinguished” son having to go behave like a “Shnorrer”) approached the Rebbe and asked him what difference does it make where the money comes from?
The Rebbe replied something to the effect of:
“It is of vital importance that the young generation experience the discomfort and hardship, and sometimes embarrassment, of collecting Tzeddokoh, in order so that when they grow up and are frequently on the giving end, they will remember and know how the collector is feeling !!!”
Note:
So till today, whenever I see somebody treating a collector with haughtiness and/or rudeness, I think to myself “That guy ain’t a Satmar student…”
(Whenever I personally can’t give, I look at the collector and give him a friendly smile and politely tell him (or gesture) “I can’t give now”.)
(But usually I can give at least a little something…)
It’s usually the meshuganas that get the press. It’s nice to see a story like this.
I Davened in a Satmar Shteibel (outside of NY)for many years. The story doesn’t surprise me.
Here is a Good Man.
May the likes of him increase among our nation.
its about time we see something
nice for a change
very nice . btw i have a lot of satmar friends there are a lot of nice and good hearted
chevra in there community
Don’t be fooled, for of it was LeShem Shamayim, the “mitzvah” would have been done in total secrecy! So, the “chossid,” received his reward in Olam haZeh.
Davidsholem,
I guess there has to be one comment to spoil the moment
TO #26
You are wrong multiple times.
1. His name is not publicized and is still secret.
2. In talmud is written if someone says i give tzedoko in order my son should live it is a full version of tzedoko.
3. This person gave for no reason just 100% plain chesed.
4. He paid for food ready to eat so it is tzedoko, hachnosas orchim, if they happened very hungry it could be piku-ach nefesh. Now multiply this by 10 times for 10 people and you get for him 30 mitzvos etc.
When I did milueim many years ago not only did a chosid from chul want to pay for our meals but he and his wife took pictures with us.
To make a long story short the group that I was with were all well established professionals not needing the gift so he paid for a group of sadirnikim that came in after us
Flip the bill and foot the bill are one and the same. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flip+the+bill
Not to be confused with flipping the bird.