The following story was sent to me by email the other day. The friend who sent it wasn't sure where it originated or whether it was genuine, but its message does give us a moment's pause to reflect on the notion that not everything is what it seems to be and that we should judge people favorably.
Mr. Honig, a young man living in a small town, contracted a fatal disease and needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. Complicating the search for a match was his extremely rare blood type of AB. Finally, after an arduous search, an appropriate donor named Mr. Robbins was found and contacted. He agreed wholeheartedly to help save Mr. Honig’s life, and a date was set to meet at the hospital to take care of the preliminary arrangements.
The night before the meeting, the Honigs received a call from the hospital informing them that Mr. Robbins was backing out. Despondent and desperate, Mr. Honig’s father phoned Mr. Robbins to plead with him to have a change of heart. “I’m actually willing to do it,” Mr. Robbins told him, “but my father absolutely forbids me.” The senior Mr. Robbins, however, refused to even speak to the senior Mr. Honig. Finally, with no other choice, Mr. Honig Sr. drove over to the Robbins’ to confront the obstinate man face to face.
“How dare you?!” bellowed Mr. Robbins Sr. the instant he opened the door. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you well. I was in the camp with my son Lulik. My wife and daughters were already dead. You were a rotten kapo. One day, I managed to find a hiding place for my Lulik in the rafters and began planning his escape. The details were falling into place, and two days remained until he’d get out and join the partisans. And then you, you miserable animal, you walked in
late at night with two Nazi guards and told them where my Lulik was hiding. They pulled him down and started leading him away to be shot. I begged for his life to be spared, and you refused, you cold-hearted beast. When I saw it was hopeless, I asked to hug him one last time. You laughed in my face!! I cried, and you laughed. And now you want me to help save your son’s life? Never!! There is a G-d in this world and He’s brought about justice at last.”
Mr. Robbins Sr. collapsed into heart-wrenching sobs. His son firmly told Mr. Honig that he had better leave. “Please let me say one thing,” Mr. Honig pleaded.
“Make it quick,” said Robbins Jr.
Mr. Honig began: “I was forced to be a kapo. I did as much as I could to help those whom I seemed to hurt. Having the Nazis think I was against my brothers allowed me to do what otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. I rescued Lulik from the Nazis and hid him in the forest. By the time I had a chance to return him to you, you had been transferred to another camp. I raised him all these years, and now he’s sick and needs you to save his life!”
The night before the meeting, the Honigs received a call from the hospital informing them that Mr. Robbins was backing out. Despondent and desperate, Mr. Honig’s father phoned Mr. Robbins to plead with him to have a change of heart. “I’m actually willing to do it,” Mr. Robbins told him, “but my father absolutely forbids me.” The senior Mr. Robbins, however, refused to even speak to the senior Mr. Honig. Finally, with no other choice, Mr. Honig Sr. drove over to the Robbins’ to confront the obstinate man face to face.
“How dare you?!” bellowed Mr. Robbins Sr. the instant he opened the door. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you well. I was in the camp with my son Lulik. My wife and daughters were already dead. You were a rotten kapo. One day, I managed to find a hiding place for my Lulik in the rafters and began planning his escape. The details were falling into place, and two days remained until he’d get out and join the partisans. And then you, you miserable animal, you walked in
late at night with two Nazi guards and told them where my Lulik was hiding. They pulled him down and started leading him away to be shot. I begged for his life to be spared, and you refused, you cold-hearted beast. When I saw it was hopeless, I asked to hug him one last time. You laughed in my face!! I cried, and you laughed. And now you want me to help save your son’s life? Never!! There is a G-d in this world and He’s brought about justice at last.”
Mr. Robbins Sr. collapsed into heart-wrenching sobs. His son firmly told Mr. Honig that he had better leave. “Please let me say one thing,” Mr. Honig pleaded.
“Make it quick,” said Robbins Jr.
Mr. Honig began: “I was forced to be a kapo. I did as much as I could to help those whom I seemed to hurt. Having the Nazis think I was against my brothers allowed me to do what otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. I rescued Lulik from the Nazis and hid him in the forest. By the time I had a chance to return him to you, you had been transferred to another camp. I raised him all these years, and now he’s sick and needs you to save his life!”
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