being in the Presence of God.” Rabbi Yehuda explained this statement to mean that while the connection to the Divine Presence is limited because there is an unbridgeable distance between humans and God, yet we can connect more closely to other human beings who each embody the Divine Image. Thus, by welcoming guests, we truly honor the Divine Image!
While I was in rabbinic school, I had the chance to befriend and help an“ undocumented immigrant” from Mexico. He was the‘ super’ of my apartment building in Manhattan and it was through him that I began to see the challenges he and others faced trying to live in the shadows.
He unsuccessfully tried to get citizenship status through several“ auctions” and had no American family or spouse to even qualify him for a‘ green card’. Even with the little that he had, he cleverly and generously figured out ways to help others, working within informal circles to obtain housing, clothing, jobs, and food.
I offered him Erev Shabbat meals and opened a savings account for him in return for his friendship and his teaching me the geography and street culture of Manhattan. When he lay dying from cancer, I was able to carry out his last wishes and ensure a dignified burial.
“ Ha Lachma Anya” is a call from our Passover Haggadah to literally and figuratively open our doors and our hearts to the“ others” in our midst,
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