What Every Jew Deserves

Ahhhh - Sweetest Friends!! I hope your Purim was as uplifting as mine. It was WOWWWW!!! And that was only thanks to all of the sweet Yidden who came to visit. I was dead drunk!! Not on alcohol - on Yidden! I was reminded of a story [I like it so much I will italicize it!]:

The Heilige Rebbe of Vizhnitz known as the Ohev Yisrael [aptly named] was once surrounded by a a large group of Chassidim who wanted to get close to this Man Of G-d. Suddenly, a mentally imbalanced man who, besides being obese and unkempt, also didn't really believe in that great human pleasure called "bathing". One need not be a chemist to know that if one abstains from bathing for an extended period of time, the smell that emanates from him will be EXTREMELY unpleasant. When the Chassidim smelled the man trying to get close to the Rebbe they parted like the Yam Suf. It was repulsive for them to be near this man.

So he approaches the Rebbe and everybody watches to see what will happen. The Rebbe came close and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He then exclaimed "A Shtik Yid" [A Piece of a Jew]. Then he made his way to the other side of this large man and planted another kiss on his second cheek. "Noch a Shtik Yid" [Another piece of a Jew].

The smell and filth accompanying this man did not deter the Ohev Yisrael, precisely because he was such a great Ohev Yisrael.

That is the way I felt today. Every Jew deserves a kiss [I actually gave out quite a few, myself].

Imagine someone was almost killed and was saved. What does his family do? They kiss and hug him. On Purim we were almost killed - we all deserve lots of affection.

But now, unfortunately, Purim is over. But the Mitzva of loving Jews is not!! The alcohol helped many break down barriers and show others their love. Now we can try it sans [FANCY WORD! - it means in the absence of. From Old French. I bet Rashi heard of it] alcohol.


PS Please daven for Shulamit Bas Esther, an elderly lady who fell and broke her neck today and might need surgery. Tizku Lmitzvos.