Collector’s Item

“In the Ohel Moed, outside the curtain that is front of the Eidus [the Aron]…” (Shemos 27:21)

The proper location of the Menorah should’ve been inside the Kodesh Hakodoshim, alongside the Aron. It was, however, placed outside of the paroches — to teach us that Hashem doesn’t need our light.

Why would we think that Hashem needs our light? (Rabbi Yosef Kalatzky, Beyond Pshat)

Every morning, Shloime and I wait outside for his school bus. Across the street are two chadarim, one litvish and one chassidish, and we enjoy watching the action as the boys arrive at school. Several months ago, a new and incongruous player entered the scene.

Pacing the sidewalk in front of the two schools was an older man with a gray beard, wearing a long frock and a black koppel with gold bells around its brim. He was holding a large metal pushke and singing “Toras Hashem Temimah” loudly as he jiggled the pushke to the rhythm.

Shloime’s eyes opened wide and I myself was caught feeling like I’d entered into Act Two of a play without knowing who the players were. Who was this guy collecting for? How did he end up on our dead-end street in front of two schools? Was he affiliated with either of them? Did the schools allow it?

My thoughts were racing. My main question: Didn’t anyone else think this whole scenario was odd? Boys from both schools skipped over to him and dropped coins into his pushke. Parents lifted preschoolers to deposit a coin. A mother with her whole family stopped to put in coins.