From: murray.bbs@cybernet.cse.fau.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: L'Chaim 7 of 8
Date: 14 Aug 92 12:16:18 GMT
Organization: Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton

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L'CHAIM                     ISSUE  # 228                    PART 7 OF 8
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                           IT HAPPENED ONCE
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   Many  years ago in the village of Aziz  in Israel there lived a poor
family with a  daughter named Rachel.  The girlish happiness  of a  new
dress was far out of Rachel's reach, but she had a fine character and a
sharp mind which she used to help her beleaguered family.
 
   One day Rachel and her siblings were  outside when Rachel reached up
to  get a  pot down from  the top  of the  roof. Suddenly she  lost her
footing and slipped  from the  shaky wooden ladder.  She came  toppling
down onto the stone pavement and struck her mouth on a rock. Her little
siblings fluttered around  her, but  she calmly brushed  them away  and
went into the house. Her mother  heard the commotion and approached her
daughter  in alarm. After  wiping away the  blood, they  found to their
horror, that one of Rachel's front teeth had been knocked out.
 
   This  seemingly insignificant  event  caused  her  life to  take  an
unhappy turn.  Always a sensitive  girl, Rachel suffered  terribly from
the teasing of her  friends who giggled at the  wide gap in her  mouth.
She no longer wanted to join with the other girls  in their activities.
Her despair deepened  as time went on, and  her distraught parents were
at a loss of what to do.
 
   Although they  had barely  enough money  for food,  Rachel's parents
managed to gather enough money to make a false tooth. But the craftsman
they hired was not very skilled, and the tooth didn't  fit properly and
was a dark color. Instead of improving her appearance, it made her look
much worse. In her attempt to hide the tooth, she kept her mouth closed
most of the time. She soon looked like a bitter, dejected old woman.
 
  Time went by. All of her old friends  married one by one; only Rachel
was left  without a  suitor,  for no  one was  interested  in the  sad,
withdrawn, unsmiling girl. Her heartbroken  parents knew that they must
do something,  but a dowry was  far beyond their means  and besides, no
one wanted her.
 
   Finally they came up with  an idea. The girl's mother had  a younger
brother  who lived in a village outside  of Jerusalem. He was also poor
and worked hard for  a living, but he was  a fine man and would  make a
good husband for his niece. Pleased with their idea, the parents sent a
messenger  to their relative, and he agreed to the suggestion. Although
he hadn't  seen his niece in many  years he remembered her  as a sunny,
cheerful little girl.
 
   He travelled to  their home and stood expectantly at  the door as he
waited  for  someone  to  answer  his knock.  The  door  opened  and  a
dishevelled,  worn- looking  woman  stood on  the  other side.  He  was
shocked to learn that this was  his betrothed, and he flatly refused to
honor his promise and left the town at once.
 
   Finally word of  the debacle came to the ears  of Rabbi Yishmael ben
Elisha.  This tzadik loved his fellow Jews, and was especially attached
to  the mitzva  of helping   poor  Jewish girls  get married.  And when
poverty  was an obstacle he expended tremendous effort in helping them.
His warm  heart was touched  by the  tragic story and  he summoned  the
girl's  parents, offering  to take  Rachel into  his home.  "Bring your
daughter to us, and  my wife will take good care of  her. I promise you
that before long that young man will sorely regret having refused her."

   So,  Rachel went to live with this  kind family who spared no effort
to  make her  comfortable.  For the  first  time in  her  life she  ate
nourishing  meals  each  day, and  was  pampered  with  fine soaps  and
ointments. Her  hair was  groomed and  festooned with stylish  ribbons.
Soon, her cheeks glowed with health and her newfound happiness radiated
outward.  Still, there  was the  problem of  the tooth.  Rabbi Yishmael
ordered an expert craftsman to make her a new tooth, this time of gold.
Rachel was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. In those days gold teeth
were a mark of beauty as well as high station. Rachel couldn't help but
stare at her reflection in the mirror, but it was hard to recognize the
beautiful young woman who stared back at her.
 
   The  following  week  Rabbi Yishmael  sent  for  the  young man  who
recently had  refused to  marry her, saying,  "There is a  lovely young
woman I would like  you to meet. I think  she would be a fine  wife for
you. Why don't you come and meet her and see what you think."
 
   He was pleased to accept the proposal and lost no time in showing up
at  Rabbi Yishmael's  house.  When  he entered  the  room and  saw  the
attractive  woman who sat next to Rabbi  Yishmael's wife, a smile crept
across his face,  for he immediately recognized his niece,  but she was
completely changed. How  could it be  that the girl  who had seemed  so
ugly  and  repulsive had  now become  so  beautiful? His  thoughts were
interrupted by  Rabbi  Yishmael's voice  saying, "Isn't  this the  same
young woman you vowed not to marry?"
 
   The man was caught off guard and protested, "I, I made a mistake.  I
would really like very much to marry her."
 
   Rabbi Yishmael  felt a  sudden pang  of sorrow, sorrow  for all  the
other  Rachels  he was  unable to  help,  and he  responded  softly, "I
absolve you of  the vow which you made  by mistake. You may  marry, and
G-d grant that your years  be filled with happiness and peace."  And so
it was.
 
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