That's Life

Issue of Sept. 26, 2008

Dear That’s Life,

My three-year-old son, Abie, and two-year-old daughter, Shalva, are obsessed with collecting pennies and giving tzedaka. Any time they find change, they get excited for another opportunity to find a tzedaka box and insert their coins.

One Thursday afternoon, in the midst of the heavy erev shabbos shopping, I was on line at Gourmet Glatt waiting to pay for my few items. I handed the cashier a $100 bill and as she proceeded to hand me my change, my children began to jump up and down in the wagon screaming, “Tzedaka! You got tzedaka! Hooray, my mommy is getting tzedaka!”

And as a number of customers began to take notice of the woman getting “tzedaka,” I quickly exited the store (before someone else could hand me some change!), and aside from my mild embarrassment, I secretly envied my children’s innocent, albeit powerful, enthusiasm for a mitzvah.

Mala E. Goldberg

Woodmere