From Towels to Torah

About six months ago I was given the honor of making sure that the Western Well, the Mikvah at Chabad of Natick, was always fully stocked with the requisite supplies. I recently had a great moment that moved me so much that I asked if I could share it with you all. 

We have been on a mission to replace our white oversized Bath Sheets. I started by doing research on the web for suppliers and was excited to find two suppliers offering towels at a great price. I put the order in at both places and spent the rest of the day feeling great about my “mission accomplished”. That night I checked the email confirmation of the order and noticed that instead of white towels, the color was listed as Sterling – light grey towels - not ok! In a panic I wrote to the supplier, explaining my situation and the confusion. I went onto their website and looked for other options, and also found their direct contact info. The next morning I called the company and spoke to a lovely woman. I was relieved to hear that other people had made the same mistake I had, looking at the photo and seeing white. She told me she would get back to me later on that day.   I returned home that afternoon to find a message from a Mr. Sam Kugler.  I knew from looking at the website that the name of the family that owned the company was Kugler. “Wow” I thought to myself, “someone from the family is making the call himself! “

Early the next morning I called the number and Sam Kugler answered the phone. He knew who I was and what the problem was. He told me that he had checked with the factory and - they did not have any white towels left.   I told him that the towels were for a Jewish organization and the there was something in our tradition called a mikvah. “Oh we built a dish mikvah here at the office“ says Sam, and we proceed to have a lengthy discussion about the pipes that collect the rainwater for a mikvah! Then my new best friend Sam says to me, “I am going to another factory tomorrow, I will look for towels for you.”

The following day I receive a call from Sam describing the towels and the great price that he has managed to source for us! The towels are, Please God, en route.

In last week’s Parsha (Torah portion), Vayeira,   Abraham communicates directly with Hashem, advocating on behalf of the Jewish nation. Rabbi Fogelman commented that Abraham was such a potent leader that he had the direct line to Hashem and that we as regular people don’t have that power. Rather we catch glimpses of the direct connection in subtle moments, which reveal themselves to us if we are lucky enough to notice. Sam and I both had such a moment. We were both blessed to experience the power of Hashem’s alignment, that through an order for towels over the internet, I would meet a man who not only knew what a mikvah is, but built one for his community. I ended the conversation with Sam by saying, “Sam when you go to the factory, look for new robes for us!”

By their example, practice and the Kedushah (holiness) of the Chabad Center of Natick and the Mei Menachem Western Well Community Mikvah, the Fogelmans have created moments and opportunities for all of us to experience the power of Hashem. May their work stand as a blessing for them and their family, and may the community continue be enriched and strengthened!