“Rabbi do you know who these checks are from?” My secretary often asks me to decipher illegible signatures.

I looked at them. “Can’t say I do” I said. “Let’s look at the return addresses on the envelopes.”

Strangely both checks were from Miriam Haberman (not her real name). Miriam lived across the street from the shul and was (unfortunately) one of the “older singles” who populate all of our neighborhoods in regretfully large numbers. Miriam was a quiet woman with modest financial means and therefore when I saw the two checks I was intrigued.

In the memo line of one check it said “Membership.” On the second check was written “Rabbi’s Fund.” Both checks were for $18.

I couldn’t understand why Miriam had suddenly sent the shul these two checks.

I called Miriam and after inquiring how she was doing I asked “Miriam what’s with the two checks?” The phone line fell silent. After what seemed an eternity to me Miriam answered her voice quiet and apologetic.

“I know Rabbi that membership is more than $18 however that’s all I can afford right now. And the other check is for your fund.”

“Miriam I understand what the checks are for; I was really asking why you sent these checks just now.”

At that point Miriam’s voice became stronger.

“Rabbi after what you did for me this week I realized this was the shul I wanted to join and I wanted to do something tangible to express my gratitude specifically to you.”

I must admit I had no idea whatsoever what she was referring to. I couldn’t even recall seeing Miriam this past week let alone doing anything special for her.

This was a tough one. If I tell her I can’t recall what I had done that is certainly not going to make me her favorite rabbi. On the other hand however I certainly can’t acknowledge that which I don’t know if I even did!

Thank Hashem; Miriam saved me as she continued to speak.

“Rabbi I cannot thank you enough. This past Wednesday was quickly becoming ‘one of those days.’ I woke up late and then my mother called. I know she means well but I can’t bear it when she asks if there’s ‘anything doing’ in my social life.

“Then the coffee machine broke and I am just ‘aus-mensch’ [not myself] when I don’t have my coffee.

“And then when I finally left my house to go to work I find a ticket on my windshield.

“That was it!

“I turned around to go back into my apartment and back to bed.

“However as I turned around I noticed you Rabbi across the street as you were walking home from shul.

“You waved to me and flashed me a smile.

“I said to myself Wow the rabbi just waved and smiled at me. Maybe it won’t be such a bad day after all.

“I went back to my car and then saw that the ‘ticket’ was just an ad for a Chinese restaurant. I left for work and baruch Hashem there was only minimal traffic so I wasn’t even late.

“When I got home I thought: ‘This is the shul I want to be part of.’ And that’s why I wrote you the two checks.”

It took a huge amount of mental recall on my part to remember the incident but it had changed Miriam’s entire day.

“Rabbi are you there? Rabbi why are you so quiet?”

“Miriam everything is fine. Everything is fine.”