A Bundle of Joy

Sarah, the last-minute babysitter, received a whirlwind tour of the Chabad rabbi’s house that evening. It was filled with laughter. Three children became her rugged responsibility. Two elementary school students climbed over furniture and tossed toys all over the floor. Sarah noticed children’s books in the library. Her courage mounted. She would read a story aloud as a bedtime ritual. That would calm the bustling place.

The quiet, yet regal Rebbetzin handed Sarah a bottle of milk for the youngest child, Adir, a bundle of joy who approached six months of blessed existence. The rabbi and his wife left Sarah alone with their kids for a meeting with a committee they led. Adir would sleep in his cradle in a dark room through most of the night being the least of Sarah’s worries. The only trouble was every so often, he would cry howling tears.

She held the infant in her arms and sang to him to bring peace. She sang Shomer Yisrael as a lullaby. He reached for her face and grasped her lips. Was this his mother? Adir, a Jewish child, felt full lips carved out of marble. This was not his mother. This was a modest substitute. We are all made of the same stuff, the same building blocks. Our genes are just expressed differently adding diversity. It’s as if we each are designed as the unique rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the New Jerusalem - a miracle, a wonder of the world.

Sarah knew that Jews were not a monolith and that there were Jews of color. Yet, she shone like a brown diamond in a European Jewish home. The hours sped by. Sarah put the children to sleep one by one. The rabbi and his wife returned to find the home quiet and organized. Sarah was reading in the well-lit living room. She asked how their meeting went.

“We entertained a hodgepodge of ideas. As they say, two Jews, three opinions...”

“I hope you sifted through ideas and found gold,” Sarah chimed in. She tended to look at the bright side.

The couple looked around the home at their sleeping progeny. They were so happy. All’s well that ends well.