“I heard a rabbi needs a shopping cart,” he said, “and I’d love to help out”

Photo: Ezzy Katz

Rav Reuven Feinstein, the rosh yeshivah of Yeshiva of Staten Island, spends his summers in Camp Yeshiva of Staten Island. Campers and visitors alike take advantage of the more informal atmosphere to engage the Rosh Yeshivah in conversation.

This past Friday, the Rosh Yeshivah walked out of shiur holding on to a shopping cart, and explained to those around him the background of his unique walking aid. During Covid, he said, he’d mentioned to family members that he’d realized while shopping in Costco that the wholesaler’s shopping carts were the perfect walking aid. The carts were designed to accommodate bulk packages, and as such, offered extra support.

Costco was closed due to the pandemic, but a determined talmid looked up the names and email addresses of every Costco executive. He reached out to each one, asking to purchase a shopping cart, and adding a short explanation for his unusual request. The email inquiries remained unanswered, but sometime later, the talmid received a phone call. It was a Costco executive on the line.

“I heard a rabbi needs a shopping cart,” he said, “and I’d love to help out. Go to the Costco in Staten Island, and I’ll arrange for someone there to meet you with a shopping cart.”

The man thanked the anonymous benefactor profusely and offered to pay, but the Costco exec wouldn’t hear of it. He was a Jew, albeit an irreligious one, and he wasn’t going to allow someone to compensate him for the opportunity to help out a rabbi.

The cart was duly picked up, transported to Rav Reuven’s house, and from there to Camp Yeshiva of Staten Island, where Rav Reuven continues to utilize it while he strolls the grounds.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 970)