Suddenly a scream pierced the air. Mordechai ran around the corner and saw three men with clubs chasing a girl and boy. He dropped his sack of belongings onto the street and ran forward to help.

M

ordechai’s screams for help were heard by the sailors sleeping in nearby rooms. They barged into his compartment just in time to see him wallop the angry mule across the head with two heavy pails. The animal tottered sideways and then fell unconscious to the floor.

Amazed as the sailors were by Mordechai’s incredible strength, there was no time to stand around in admiration. Side by side with the sailors, Mordechai helped pound wood over the gaping hole and carry away the sea water that had reached up to their shins.

“It’s hopeless,” one of the sailors declared. “Someone needs to go alert the captain. We need to dock the ship at the nearest port.”

Mordechai knew in his heart then that it would be a very long time until he would reach Eretz Yisrael.

*******

A few hours later, the ship docked at a nearby shipping port. When the breach was properly inspected, several more holes were discovered that compromised the ship’s safety. The captain announced a three-week repair period for the ship.

Mordechai found himself in the busy port with no place to sleep and no one that he knew.

The captain found Mordechai in the bustling crowd and told him some encouraging news.

“I’ve been here before. I happen to know that there are many Jews living nearby. I’ll give you directions and you’ll go find a place to sleep among your own people. Then we’ll sail off together in three weeks for the Holy Land.”

Mordechai thanked the captain and, in his heart, thanked the One Above, Who had orchestrated that they dock in a place where Jews lived.

It was nighttime by the time Mordechai arrived in the Jewish section of the city. A cold rain had begun to fall and he shivered against the cold winds.

Suddenly a scream pierced the air. Mordechai ran around the corner and saw three men with clubs chasing a girl and boy. He dropped his sack of belongings onto the street and ran forward to help.

“Stop!” Mordechai bellowed at the three ruffians.

They whirled to face him, their expressions murderous.

“What do you have to do with those two rotten Jews?” the ruffians demanded.

“I am a Jew, as well. Leave now and no one has to get hurt.”

The hoodlums laughed and attacked Mordechai, swinging their clubs with tremendous force against his head and shoulders. With a loud cry, Mordechai caught a club as it was coming down toward his face and he wrenched it from the owner’s hand. Then he did unto the ruffian what the rasha had in mind to do to him.

The other two men were not smart enough to run for their lives and they were both lifted off of the ground and tossed against a nearby wall with enough force to make stones topple from the top of the wall.

“How can we ever repay you for your kindness?” the boy and girl, both about Mordechai’s age, inquired.

“Well,” Mordechai straightened out his collar that had been yanked during the fight. “I could use a place to sleep, out of the rain...”

(Excerpted from Mishpacha Jr., Issue 766)