I was very happy when my cousin Chaim (name changed) invited us to attend the local Simchas Beis Hashoeivah in his community of Anywhere USA.

We were quickly ushered into the shul succah — beautifully decorated but what really caught my eye was the table laden with rugelach pastries and fruit.

It wasn’t so much the quantity as the obvious effort time and care someone had lovingly dedicated to making sure the setup was just perfect. It was so exquisitely arranged that I commented to Chaim “I’ve never seen such beautifully arranged tables; everything looks as if it’s a private party with the hostess making sure everything is just right!”

Chaim smiled and said “Well you can thank my wife Talia for that. She’s the chairwoman of the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah committee and she makes sure everything is done for the shul with exactly the same care as if she were making a family simchah.

“She even went as far as to check out the local ordinance about playing music and made sure that everyone knew the music will end exactly at ten so no one Jew or non-Jew will be disturbed by the event. She’s really looking forward to this evening.”

Soon the succah began reverberating with the sounds of singing and dancing as everyone was enjoying the event. At about nine forty-five the president of the shul stood up to thank Talia Bernstein for singlehandedly organizing and running an amazingly successful event.

But suddenly as if an unwanted and uninvited cold wind had blown into the succah a loud and almost threatening voice was heard.

“There is nothing to thank Mrs. Bernstein for! She is to blame for this entire racket! I have to be asleep by nine thirty every night! I have to get up early to get to the mikveh before k’vasikin and my daf yomi shiur. Her loud and noisy party has kept me up till almost ten! There is much to blame her for like gezel sheinah [stealing sleep]. Everyone knows I am makpid gammur (extremely careful) to only sleep in the succah and my succah is right across the street! My inability to sleep is your fault Talia Bernstein!”

Before anyone could respond and before anyone could react the “gezel sheinah enforcer” had departed the warm succah leaving in his wake cold and dampened spirits.

The keyboard sat orphaned in the corner with no one daring to approach it. The dancers who were gearing up for one final go-around of “V’samachta B’chagecha” slowly began to clean up the used cups.

All of the delicious and tempting food somehow looked less appealing now. In short order the food was packed away the chairs were piled up and silently everyone began to vacate the once pulsating and now dormant succah.

I noticed a few people including the rav of the shul quietly approaching Talia and thanking her again and again for her efforts and encouraging her not to take “the enforcer’s” words to heart.

She remained stoic and outwardly assured everyone that she was fine; however as she thanked me for coming I couldn’t help but notice the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

As I walked to my car I looked over at the succah of the “gezel sheinah enforcer.”

I wondered how a person who studies Torah could be so hurtful to another human being.

And I wondered why I did not respond to him when he was hurting Talia.

Most of all though — as I gazed at his now darkened succah — I wondered how it was possible for him to sleep soundly while destroying the sleep of Talia Bernstein?