Shmuel's Response

Another guest post by ED (scroll down for Part I)

Shmuel was firm.

"Chaya, we never yet took a non observant babysitter, and this time we won't make any exceptions"

"Shmuel, what am I supposed to tell her?"

"Tell her that the Kids are used to Devorah...."

"OK, but what will we do tonight with the kids?"

"Do we have a choice? We'll just have to take them"

The short walk from Shmuel's study to the front door seemed to take forever. Mustering up her courage, Chaya somehow manged to explain to Tamar, the girl at the door why it wouldn't work out, as the kids are used to Devorah.....

Tamar promptly burst into tears. Not just crying. She was sobbing. Chaya was totally caught off guard. She offered Tamar to come in and have a seat on the couch.

To make a long story short, Tamar was from a non religious Kibbutz, and somehow found her way to the seminary. After a few weeks, she just couldn't get used to the religious lifestyle, and decided to return to the Kibbutz. But she had no money for the bus fare. When the babysitting opportunity came up, she jumped at it in hope to earn some money to buy a bus ticket. But now without tonight's job, she was back to square one with no money for her bus fare.

Chaya and Shmuel got into a long deep discussion with her, and finally convinced her to spend another week at the seminary. She would be welcome to come over at night to discuss her issues and questions. Upon looking up at the clock, Shmuel and Chaya jumped! It was almost 11:00pm!! They had been so busy talking to Tamar, they hadn't realized how fast time flew by! All the kids had found their way to their beds and fallen asleep. They wished Tamar a good night, gave a baby monitor to a neighbor and jumped into a taxi. They made it just in time to wish their family Mazel Tov.

During the week, Tamar visited nightly, and they held long discussions about many different topics about Judaism. On some nights, Shmuel even asked a friend who was involved in Kiruv to join them.

By the end of the week, Tamar decided to stay on, and she slowly but surely become more and more observant. She was a welcome guest in Chaya and Shmuel's home, and they did their best to give her as much Chizuk and encouragement as possible.

Three years later, Shmuel and Chaya had a wedding to go to. This time, there was no need for a babysitter, as all the kids were going. For it was the wedding of Tamar and Eli, a Baal Teshuvah who was doing very well in Yeshiva. Shmuel, Chaya and their children danced away the whole night. This Simcha was a Simcha of their own.

Why did I post this?

Because I thought that many of you would have been opposed to Shmuel "sticking to his guns" and to refuse Tamar to babysit.

But, had he not stuck to his principles, Tamar would have most likely returned to her non religious Kibbutz and not be a Shomer Torah U'mitzvos today. What would have happened had she simply left and gotten the money elsewhere? Good question. But apparently, in at least this circumstance, after sticking to his principles, Hashem awarded them with divine providence and the story ended as it did.