A Possible Mission

Growing up as a young yeshivah boy on the West Side, there was a buzz around the school about a famous actor who was shomer Shabbos by the name of Steven Hill. It was a hot topic of discussion how such a phenomenon was actually possible. One day, when I brought up the topic at home, my father a”h told me that he knew the actor personally. Being a sixth grader, this fact amazed me, and I asked my father why he had never invited him over. He thought for a moment and replied, “You know, perhaps one day I will.”

A couple of months passed. One day, while I was playing hockey in the foyer (the living room was off-limits for hockey), the doorbell rang. I ran to answer the door, with the hockey stick still in my hand. Standing there was a fine-looking gentleman who asked me if my father was home. I told him he was, and who should I say is asking for him? He said his name was Shlomo Hill. Not thinking into it, I invited him in and returned to my hockey game.

It took a good 45 seconds for my 11-year-old brain to actually register the name and consider who might be sitting in my living room. Dropping my stick, I humbly peeked in, only to be greeted by two huge, welcoming smiles from my father and the mystery guest. I shyly approached him, offered my hand, and said, “You are the most famous person I have ever met.” He asked, “What makes me so famous?” I replied, “You’re a television actor!” He looked me straight in the eye and asked, “And what do you do?” I replied, “I do nothing. I go to yeshivah.”

I will never forget his response. He said, “Dovid Nachman, you’re in yeshivah. You do everything. You do even more than me.”