BATTLE OF THE FEET

“I dreamt that I was walking through a forest. Suddenly, I heard a little voice complaining, ‘Why do I have to do all of the work?’ “‘What are you complaining about? I’m working just as hard, if not more!’ said another voice.“I looked around to see who was talking, and it took a few minutes to realize that it was my feet talking. The left foot and the right foot were arguing!

The large van pulled into the shul driveway. Sruli was glad to see Kalman waiting in front, looking calm and organized. If Sruli would have realized how nerve-wracking it would be to tackle Friday afternoon traffic with a dozen kids bickering in the back, he would never have agreed to help Kalman with this Shabbaton. Oh well, thought Sruli. I’m here and I might as well do the best I can. Maybe the kids will behave better once they are out of this crowded van.

Kalman greeted the boys as they piled out of the car and said in a friendly but firm voice:

“Okay, everyone, glad you made it here. We have only one hour to candle lighting, so everybody should take their sleeping bags and overnight cases and bring them to the large empty classroom at the end of the hallway. Go through this door; the hallway is on the right.”

That set off a mad scramble for bags as each boy wanted to get to the classroom first, and choose the best spot to spread out his sleeping bag. Moshie tripped over a stray shoe and bumped into Chaim, who shoved him back. Moshie picked himself up with a roar, and was about to pay Chaim back with interest, when Shimmy jumped in front of him screaming “Watch out! That’s my shoe that’s getting kicked around!”

Kalman quickly intervened, separating the three, and somehow managed to negotiate a truce. Sruli wondered again what kind of weekend he had gotten himself into. This group seemed to have no sense of unity, no feeling for one another. When Kalman had asked Sruli to come along, he had warned him about this; in fact this was the main reason why Kalman had organized this Shabbaton. He was determined to change the boys’ attitudes towards each other, and he had carefully prepared stories, songs, and activities based on the theme of “You shall love your fellow as you love yourself.”

As the weekend progressed, Sruli did not see much change in the boys’ behavior. Kalman told story after story, but although the boys were eager to hear every word, they still argued over who would sit where. The songs were taught, but no one sang together – each boy sang at his pace, at the key that he thought it should be sung in. The activities that were supposed to foster unity instead became sources of arguments.

“Okay guys,” Kalman announced after Havdala, “we’ve got a Melaveh Malka barbecue set up in the large park across the road. The path is well lit, but please stick together because it makes life much easier when we work together.”

Except for a few arguments about who sits next to whom, the boys settled down quite quickly. Kalman came over to Sruli, and whispered, “I want to go back to the shul kitchen and get the popsicles from the freezer for dessert. Can you keep the boys occupied with a story or game meanwhile?”

“No problem,” answered Sruli, sounding more confident than he felt. He stood up and called for attention, with a silent prayer that Hashem should guide his lips. “I have a story that none of you have ever heard before.”

“Bet you I did!” interrupted Shimmy. “I know every story!”

“Well, you couldn’t have heard this one! It actually was a dream I had, and you are the first people that I am telling it to!”

“Why are you telling us about a dream?”

“It says that dreams are like unopened letters – there is a message to be found in each dream. Listen to my dream, and see if you can decipher the message.

“I dreamt that I was walking through a forest. Suddenly, I heard a little voice complaining, ‘Why do I have to do all of the work?’

“‘What are you complaining about? I’m working just as hard, if not more!’ said another voice.

“I looked around to see who was talking, and it took a few minutes to realize that it was my feet talking. The left foot and the right foot were arguing!

“‘And what about me? I have to follow your lead and bend and straighten whenever you want to move!’ This was the right knee speaking.

“‘Well I’ve had enough! I’m not going with you anymore!’ said my left knee. With that, my legs gave way, and I found myself on the ground, unable to walk.”

Sruli would have continued, but all of a sudden the park lights went out. It was pitch black, except for a glimmer of light where the shul was situated. Sruli had to think fast, as the boys were starting to panic. He would have to get everyone safely back to the shul without leaving anyone behind.

“Okay guys, I want everyone to hold hands. I’m going first. I’ll say my name, and give a little squeeze to the hand I’m holding. Whoever that hand belongs to will call out his name, and give a light squeeze to the next person’s hand. That person will call out his own name, and so on until we are sure that everyone is accounted for. Then we keep holding on as we move together towards the shul. We are in this together, and we will only get out of this together.”

The boys, relieved to have guidance, followed Sruli’s instructions without a murmur of protest. They started walking, holding hands, in silence, until someone started a slow song. Other boys joined in, surprisingly singing together in harmony. They were halfway to the end of the park, when Sruli thought he heard a low moan.

“Stop, everyone!”

Everyone stood still and silent. Now everyone could hear a moan.

“Who’s making that noise?”

“Ooooh! It’s me, Kalman! I tripped when the lights went out. Ooooh, my foot. I think I twisted my ankle!”

Sruli called out: “Don’t worry Kalman, together we will get you safely back to the shul. Boys, keep holding hands and spread out to the left. We’ll walk slowly until we find Kalman. Then whoever is nearest to him will help him up, and support him until we get to the shul.”

All the boys managed to stay together as they made their way through the darkness, taking Kalman with them. As they neared the shul, Moshie, who was holding on to Sruli, commented: “Your dream reminded me of what we learned in class, how all of the Jewish people are like one big body. If you reject another Jew, it’s like your right foot arguing with the left foot. When we are all in harmony with one another, we are complete. Then Hashem showers us with blessing.”

Sruli smiled. The weekend hadn’t turned out so bad after all.

The lesson is based on the Maamer “Mitzvahs Ahavas Yisroel” in Derech Mitzvosecha.