Family Assets

Just a few months ago, these guys had been his friends and equals. But since his engagement, things were a little different. They hadn’t been surprised when he’d been snatched up by the wealthy Alex Weiss — after all, Chaim Zev was a rosh yeshivah’s son and the best guy in Rav Aryeh’s yeshivah — but still, landing the shidduch of the year had made Chaim Zev seem a little distant from his crowd.

Now that he was past the awkwardness of the engagement and stiffness of the sheva brachos week, Chaim Zev wanted to be part of the chevrah again. He knew Perri would be a willing hostess, even though eight hungry bochurim could sound intimidating to a girl who’d gotten married a month ago and had barely finished settling into her apartment in far-off Yerushalayim.

But Perri had risen to the occasion admirably. Ten delicate plates graced the brocade tablecloth, their gold trim glinting atop matching chargers. Perri had skillfully twisted the linen napkins into the set of napkin rings Tante Leichu had given as a wedding gift. With fresh flowers towering from a matching vase, the table looked just like her mother’s back in Boro Park.

Chaim Zev wasn’t used to linen napkins and wasn’t quite sure what he’d do with his, but he couldn’t deny that the table looked eminently Shabbosdig.