What – more  Jacob and sending  angels – or  Messengers – to his brother who's on his way to kill them all?

 

Now Jacob has the 12 tribes – and a daughter – but who are the angels here?

 

 we are – this people of Israel

 –

 

Michael and the angels of Israel – a true story

 

I don't know if I ever told you about the guy who slipped in his hotel room in Jerusalem – and fell into a coma …

 

But the wonders of G-d are worked through the angels of Israel – and hopefully the whole world will some day understand why Jacob struggled with the angel of DEATH – the angel of Esav his murderous brother – 

and

what CHESED means – loving kindness on a G-dly level – and if you read this week's portion – maybe the reason we're all here…

So this guy slips in a hotel room – is found a day or so later by the tour leader who sent him to that hotel room -and is sent to the not-best hospital in Jerusalem –

on a noisy street with nearly the worst air quality in the city – because he's in a coma in a city where he has no relatives to look after him -  so who cares?

 

Well' the staff there care for Michael as best they can – the nurses the doctors the physical therapists – they're all working for a month or so to try to keep him alive as he "sleeps" close to death…but let's face it – how long? So his sister comes from America, takes his "stuff" back to the US – clothes, computer, whatever he had – and waits for the worst – and how long does the average patient last on a coma – before the muscles atrophy, and – what?

 

So I heard from a friend about the guy – who I knew a little from New York – and when I'm in Jerusalem once in a while I go visit, sit next to the bed, help the nurses with a little physical therapy, try to get him a drop of water, fluff up his pillow – but what do I know?

 

The Holy Kabalists know – and they say we are tested every day – and we DON'T KNOW WHY WE ARE ON THIS WORLD – OR WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO CLAIM A SPOT IN HEAVEN …

 

Rabbi Carlebach used to tell stories of the Holy Water Carriers – the shleppers – the Jews in Europe who couldn't even thread a needle and survived by bringing water to others and thus earning their daily bread – so who knows what our great grandparents did to survive in a world that didn't and doesn't recognize the Jewish purpose in this world' to teach CHESED…?

So on and off for a few months I visit maybe once a week maybe twice – talk to Michael but never get an answer – exercise his legs and arms like the nurses ask me to –

And maybe my place on this world is to – well – here's what happens after months when the staff never gave up –

 

one afternoon Michael opens his eyes and I hear him mumble – "Andy get me some ice cream"! And the eyes close again. Really did I hear that? So I go get a nurse.

 She come in. Again the eyes open.  I say, Michael do you know how long you've been here?

"A week?" he says. "Three months" I think I said.

 

"I still want some ice cream" he says and the eyes close again. The nurse asks the head nurse and she says it's okay 

 

but only SUGARLESS! But where to get sugarless ice cream? and what flavor if the eyes are closed again?

 

So I run to the best ice cream store in downtown Jerusalem, get a couple of flavors and run back. The nurse feed him some ice cream – and thus starts a year of recovery and rehab and more loving care from people who never knew Michael but who now is in the best rehab hospital in Jerusalem – Mihael the Miracle of CHESED.

 

And in the portion  Jacob goes to his Father Isaac and thus continues the story of the Children of Israel in the Land of Israel … and yes – I saw Michael – walking - on a bus in Jerusalem not long ago, may he (and all of us)  live long and may we all be blessed to do acts of Loving Kindness and bring the world to know and love the angels of Israel ….because the world needs  to learn …

 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz