"I will travel the region and become an apprentice, hire myself as a delivery man — whatever it takes!”

Shoshanah never again saw any strangers outside her home and she forgot about what had happened. Chaim was relieved when the letters stopped coming and he told nothing of the matter to his daughter.

Eventually it was time for Shoshanah to be married. After searching for a suitable match for his special daughter, Chaim and his wife selected Gimpel’s learned, good-hearted son, Baruch. It was a time of tremendous happiness, but also sadness. The Cossacks were rampaging throughout the region, slaughtering Jews everywhere, and food and money were very scarce.

One day Chaim asked to speak to Baruch as he was walking out of the beis medrash.

“My dear son-in-law, how was your learning today?”

“Baruch Hashem! And, how are you?”

Chaim sighed heavily.

“I had to leave my job. The boss says it’s only a matter of time until the Cossacks come and plunder our village. He doesn’t want to be caught with a Jew working for him. I can no longer support you and Shoshanah with the little help I have been offering.”

Baruch glanced down at his torn shoes and patched-up pants. His winter coat resembled a tattered towel. He and Shoshana were already living on scraps, shivering from the cold at night, but now they would literally have absolutely nothing to survive on.

“I will find work!” Baruch said after a minute.

He forced a smile on his face. “I will travel the region and become an apprentice, hire myself as a delivery man — whatever it takes!”

“May Hashem be with you, my son.”