At the Sheva Brachos she prepared for the entire family of her husband’s best friend from South Africa Naomi stands up to speak. She’s blessed with a special gift of speaking. She often speaks to much larger crowds sharing the story of her journey to Yiddishkeit from the elite non-religious suburbs of Tel Aviv.

“I went out for ten years without finding the right one” Naomi begins. “No one was good enough for me. I said no to each one. At twenty-four I couldn’t believe that I still wasn’t married — but then I turned thirty.”

She smiles a beautiful smile then turns pensive. “I cried cups of tears. Then I went to a very special Rebbe the Biala Rebbe in Switzerland. The Rebbe heard my story and told me ‘No matter what don’t say no. And if something seems to continue bring him here for me to meet.’

“So I went out with several more prospects. This time each one said no to me. I went back to the Rebbe ‘What should I do?’ I cried.”

Naomi looks around at the twenty or so women seated around the table in her home and continues. “Meanwhile in South Africa there’s a man named Moshe who has also done teshuvah also highly educated — a prominent doctor. He also grew up in the elite non-religious suburbs but in South Africa. He has also been waiting ten years saying no to each one. Moshe also went to his very special Rebbe and cried ‘What should I do?’

“The Rebbe said ‘No matter who or what don’t say no.’

“Soon after Moshe flew into Israel to meet me. We went out and went out and went out but weren’t sure if we were made for each other. Still we each had taken on not to say no.

“This time we went back together to the Rebbe. The Rebbe blessed the shidduch and I was invited to meet Moshe’s family in South Africa.

“A week later in South Africa. Erev Shabbos I wanted to have my hair done for Shabbos. Moshe had many appointments so he asked a close friend and his wife to escort his kallah into town.

“On the drive I’m almost crying. Why? Because I don’t know if I can go through with the marriage. Why? Because earlier that day I’d popped in to visit my husband-to-be in his office and I’d noticed that his shoes were totally torn!

“I’d already come to terms with his idealistic refusal to wear leather shoes and to eat meat. But torn shoes? I’d waited ten years and cried cups of tears to marry a schlumper? All I could see on that ride into town were those torn shoes.

“Out of the blue the driver my chasan’s best friend begins to tell a story.”

There was once a boy whose father passed away. His mother worked long hard hours to pay for her son to continue to learn Torah in cheder.

One day on her way home the widow saw her son sitting in the marketplace shaking a metal cup collecting tzedakah. “What are you doing here?” she asked in shock.

“My rebbe sent me to collect tzedakah” the boy answered innocently.

The widow was infuriated. She ran to the cheder and asked her son’s rebbe “Why did you send my son to collect tzedakah?”

The rebbe saw that she was distraught and asked her to sit down while he told her a story:

“One night I had a dream” the rebbe said. “I saw my rebbe standing in the Next World dressed in the finest garments shining with light. But he had no shoes.

“I asked him ‘Rebbe! Why do you have such beautiful garments — but no shoes?’ And the Rebbe answered ‘I have such beautiful garments because I taught and learned Torah every minute. But I have no shoes because I didn’t run to do chesed to collect tzedakah for the poor.’ 

The boy’s rebbe turned to the widow. “I want your son to have golden shoes.”

“The driver finishes the story and then tells me his best friend’s kallah ‘Your chasan will have golden shoes. His feet never stop running to do chesed.’$$$separate quotes$$$”

Naomi finishes. The kallah in whose honor the Sheva Brachos is being held who is the daughter of that driver who told that story so long ago thanks her and says ‘This is a story inside a story!’