This week’s parshah discusses the “Mis’onenim” – the complainers, who were not satisfied with all that Hashem gave them. Even after He rescued them from Egypt, the Yam Suf, and Amaleik, and gave them all the miracles that they lived with on a daily basis, such as the Mann, the people wanted more. They complained that life was not good – that they had it better when they were slaves. Their complaints made no sense. Hashem allowed them to vent, before He vented His wrath on them. No good ever comes out of complainers.
Anyone who has ever traveled on an Israeli bus knows that time schedules and overcrowding do not always make for a pleasant trip. The same goes for long-distance bus rides from city to city. Families who go away for a Shabbos or Yom Tov, especially with small children, babies, and lots of “pekalach” often find themselves waiting tensely for buses amid the hullabaloo of shrieking, impatient, hungry, and crying children; the experience is a trying one, to say the least.
Rav Elimelech Biderman shlita recounts the following story, and the lesson learned therein: On Motza’ei Rosh HaShanah 5777 (October 4, 2016), a large group of people found themselves waiting at the Egged bus stop on Rechov Kahaneman for the #402 bus to Jerusalem. They had all spent Yom Tov in Bnei Brak, and late as it was, they all needed to get back home to Jerusalem as soon as possible. The night hour was late, and the bus was not coming. People’s patience was being tried, and one after the other, upset riders called the bus company to complain about the #402 and why it still hadn’t come. A few demanded that they send out another bus to pick up the huge crowd of Jerusalemites who needed to get home.
After an additional frustrating wait – it was after 1:30 in the morning –they saw an approaching Egged bus. But sadly, this bus was not the #402 to Jerusalem, but the #318 to Rechovot. The driver kindly slowed down and a few people jumped on and asked if perhaps he could change his route and take them all to Jerusalem, instead of Rechovot.
The man calmly explained to the group, that he can get fired for changing his route, and sadly he could not do as they asked. They pleaded with him. “No one is going to Rechovot. You have an empty bus. Please take us – do this mitzvah!”
The driver was literally bombarded with requests, persisting and cajoling him to take them to their intended destination. Finally, he smiled hesitantly and reluctantly agreed to switch his route. He changed the digital display in front from #318 to #402 and after what seemed like a mass embarkation onto his bus, he drove off in the direction of Jerusalem. The entire group was extremely grateful, continuously singing his praises all throughout the entire bus ride to Jerusalem.
As they approached the outskirts of the holy city, one curious passenger had the temerity to ask, “Why did you agree to risk your career with Egged and change your route for us? You know they can track your bus with a GPS!”
Instead of a frown, the driver broke out in a wide smile. “To be frank with you,” he said, “my route tonight was not to Rechovot after all – it was truly meant to be Jerusalem all along!” The passenger’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
“So many people had called that the bus company dispatched a bus to come get them. The problem was that no driver was willing to take the route. We all knew how irate and upset the large group on Kahaneman was going to be at 1:30 a.m., and how they would likely take their angst and indignation out on the driver. Finally, I agreed to take the route, but I made an unusual request of my superiors. I proposed – and received approval – to allow me to change the display to Rechovot and pretend that I was not meant to pick them up. But when I will agree to take them all, instead of complaints, they will be thrilled and show their appreciation by showering me with blessings! Instead of viewing my late arrival with contempt and exasperation, they will view it as a huge favor, undertaken at great personal risk. And, I am happy to say, it worked!”
We see from here a new lens from which to view the way we appreciate all that is done for us. Hashem provides us with all that we need and He maintains us on this world He created, with no benefit to Him. And yet, what do we do? We complain about this and that – and lose sight of the big picture. “Kol mah d’avid Rachamana, l’tav avid” – all that Hashem does is for our good, and even if it takes an Israeli bus driver tricking us into seeing that, it’s all worth it in the end.
Rabbi Dovid Hoffman is the author of the popular “Torah Tavlin” book series, filled with stories, wit and hundreds of divrei Torah, including the brand new “Torah Tavlin Yamim Noraim” in stores everywhere. You’ll love this popular series. Also look for his book, “Heroes of Spirit,” containing one hundred fascinating stories on the Holocaust. They are fantastic gifts, available in all Judaica bookstores and online at http://israelbookshoppublications.com. To receive Rabbi Hoffman’s weekly “Torah Tavlin” sheet on the parsha, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
