Feeding Each Other

There is a Jewish story about a man who dies and meets an angel at the gates of heaven. The angel tells the man that he has the choice to go to heaven or hell, and the angel will take him to both places so he can decide. When he goes to hell, the man sees a large banquet table filled with every kind of food imaginable. Each person sitting around the table has arms with no elbows, so while they can lift their fork, try as hard as they may, they simply can’t get the food to their mouths.

The man asks to see heaven. The angel takes him there, and lo and behold, he sees the same setting: a large banquet table filled with every kind of food imaginable. Each person sitting at this table also has arms with no elbows. The man says to the angel, “It is exactly the same thing here as in hell. Both of these places are horrible.” The angel responds, “Just wait.” The man waits, and he soon notices the people picking up their forks. But rather than trying to feed themselves, each person stretches to feed the person across the table.

How can you feed someone today? Let’s make a little more heaven.

Rabbi Robin Damsky