For 15 years, we’ve been hosting an annual motorcycle ride for our wounded IDF soldiers. It’s one of our longest-running programs, with motorcycle riders from all over the tri-state area coming together and volunteering for the day, to give our heroes the ride of a lifetime. We go up to Bear Mountain to enjoy the incredible scenery and end off with a lavish BBQ somewhere upstate.
It’s a win-win all around: the soldiers love it, the riders have a great time, and we all appreciate the opportunity to do a mitzvah for the soldiers who have given so much for us. Everyone gets to feel good!
This year, over 75 volunteers came with their enormous Harley Davidsons, Slingshots, and all other fancy kinds of motorcycles.
One of the riders, Sarah,* comes every year with her husband Peter.* As we said our goodbyes at the end of the day, I asked Sarah if she would consider lighting Shabbat candles each week. I explained that it only takes a minute to do, but releases infinite light and energy into the world. Sarah politely declined, telling me that since she and Peter come from different religions, they have an agreement not to bring their religion into the home.
I left it at that, but a week later I received a beautiful message:
“Hello Rabbi. This is Sarah from the IDF ride. I want you to know that you and the host of the BBQ (I believe his name is Barry) had a positive impact on me when we talked before *Peter (my Christian husband) and I left. I lit Shabbos candles last Friday and plan to do so again tonight. Wishing you and your family a Good Shabbos!”
I was blown away! So much work goes into this event. From the planning to the execution, every detail is worked out by our devoted team. Bringing the wounded soldiers to New York is a huge undertaking: we fill up 10 days with incredible experiences, and some of them undergo medical treatments while they’re here.
Just the motorcycle ride requires months of meetings and planning to make sure everything runs smoothly, followed by the over-the-top BBQ hosted by Barry and Rissie with so much love, dedication and generosity, along with the Grillfather who does an incredible job.
And as I read Sarah’s message, I thought to myself: “All this effort and planning was worth it just for Sarah to light Shabbat candles. Perhaps that’s the very reason we even held this event!”
The Baal Shem Tov famously taught that our souls may descend into the world, and spend 70 or 80 years here, just to do a single act of kindness for a fellow Jew.
We have no way of knowing, though, what that specific act is.
Could it be that 15 years of motorcycle rides were solely for this moment—for Sarah to start lighting Shabbat candles? I don’t know. But it’s certainly possible.
Since we can’t know, it’s all the more important that we value every mitzvah and grab every opportunity to serve G-d and do acts of goodness and kindness for those around us. Who knows which mitzvah is the one we were sent here to do? And who knows which mitzvah will be the tipping point that will usher in the coming of Moshiach and Final Redemption? It could be any of us.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Uriel Vigler
*Names changed to protect privacy.