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Thought for the Day: Kiruv R'chokim Up Close and Personal

When my wife and I were newly engaged we went on a bike ride through Goethe Park in Sacramento.  At one point Debbie looked down and saw, horrified, that the diamond had fallen out her engagement ring!  Of course we stopped immediately, but didn't have much hope of finding it.  We were on a sandy bike path, the diamond was pretty small (hey!  I was in graduate school); but we stopped anyway.  Lo and behold; there it was!  Actually, I should say, there it still is, all 31 points of it (just under 1/3 carat for you non-gemologists).  35 years later that little diamond still occupies a place of honor on her hand.


So what prompted this stroll (ride) down memory lane?  First, I noticed a sign for Goethe Park on my ride into work this morning.  Second, having just come through the Aseres Y'mai T'shuva, I started thinking about a comment someone made to a few weeks back.  I told him I had just gotten some super-8 home movies from my childhood digitized.  "I am really looking forward to seeing my grandchilds' reaction to seeing their Zeidy celebrating christmas.", I told him with a big smile.  The look on his face was classic, "How does someone go from celebrating christmas to participating in a siyum on gemara and mishnayos!?!"

And that really got me thinking.  Sometimes we look at Jews who seem so far from being observant and we wonder how could they ever come (or return) close?  So many roadblocks, so much attitude that has to change.  Well, none of them is so far they are celebrating christmas.  And each one is a precious diamond; and not like that tiny diamond from my wife's engagement.  And who is searching?  HaShem Himself, Who loves and wants to find that jewel to bring it home.  And we can all help.  Just like my wife and I joined together to find that little diamond, each of us can team up with HaShem Yisbarach, Avinu sh'ba'shamayim, to find and bring home those Jews.

Ready to join in?  Wondering where to start?  You can try looking where I did: the mirror.
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