At Home in Nordstrom Rack
Have you ever been to a foreign country, Heard English spoken in an American accent And felt an instant connection with your fellow tourist? A familiarity. How about meeting a fellow Jew in the middle of nowhere? The connection is instant; You feel more safe- you’re not alone! For me, this is true even in a random store in my hometown. Just this week, I stepped into Nordstrom Rack and Met my friend Moshe, a salesman there. He happened to be with a customer, who turned out to be Jewish, too. Her son was home from college and had shown up to shul In dress clothes at least two sizes too small. So in the middle of the suit aisle we started playing a game- The famous Jewish geography: where her kids went to college, Which had a Chabad on campus and who the rabbis were. As we finished talking and said our goodbyes, I heard a “Shana Tova” come from the stack of shirts beside me And “have an easy fast” from the pants hanging on the other side. I felt like I was in synagogue. At home. These people- who I didn’t even know- understood me. We didn’t have to discuss anything deep, or do anything at all; There was simply a connection. A deep and strong bond. When one thinks of relationships, there are different ways One can express the bond you have with another person. Think husband and wife or parent and child. Compare that with the ultimate relationship a person can have; The one we have with G-d- our Maker, The source of life and everything we have. When things are going fine, we doing things for each other, Showing our friends and loved ones how much we appreciate them. With G-d- this would be following the Mitzvot He asks us to do. Sometimes, though, things can get a little rocky. We drift apart or hurt our loved ones and We need to remind ourselves (and show them) How special and important they really are. With a bouquet of flowers or a touching gift (and a sincere apology!), A deeper level of connection is revealed and Our tested love is even stronger. This is Teshuvah (r