kosher bookworm: alan jay gerber

For a bar mitzvah boy, amazing chesed indeed

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Among the greatest words in the Hebrew language is chesed whose definition varies with its use. In his book, “Amazing Chesed” (Jewish Lights, 2013), Rami Shapiro informs us of some of these varied definitions: love, loving-kindness, and a grace of divine origin.

In this week’s essay I will be referencing an act of chesed of human origin but surely was divinely inspired, one that defies anything that I have heard of as performed by a bar mitzvah boy in our own community.

This inspiring act is recounted by Barbara Bensoussan, in an article entitled, “A Bar Mitzva Heard ‘Round the World: Seventh Grader Nachaliel Jacobs Chose to Give, Not Receive” (Bedarchei HaTorah, Summer 2016). The author begins with a question, followed by a story whose actions will serve as a model for others to emulate.

“Should the focus of bar mitzvah be the bar, or the mitzvah? For 13-year old Nachaliel Jacobs, a talmid in Rabbi Yaron Halberthal’s seventh grade [at Darchei Torah], the choice was clear.

“‘Some years ago we went to a lavish bar mitzvah, and Nachaliel said, I don’t understand — is bar mitzvah about the party, or doing mitzvos?’ relates his mother, Mrs. Matana Jacobs.

“Nachaliel resolved that when his turn came, his bar mitzvah would be about mitzvos. ‘I grew up seeing my parents always doing chesed, and I wanted to follow.’

“Israeli born Matana has a large family in Israel, and the family always assumed Nachaliel’s bar mitzvah would happen there. ‘We would talk about how we would rent a mitzvah bus and go around visiting nursing homes and hospitals.’

“But, as the date approached, she realized it wasn’t so simple; each facility has rules and restrictions. The next idea was to make a concert for disabled children; Nachaliel loves music and plays drums. Having met Baruch Levine once, he went so far as to call him about doing a concert. But hiring top-tier musicians was prohibitively expensive.

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