Life’s Special Moments: In Conversation With Stephen J. Savitsky

BANNER ROCHELLE MILLER

Stephen J. Savitsky is on a mission to teach people about an important but often overlooked mitzvah, that of shiloach hakan and how it relates to our everyday lives and can even change our lives.

Chances are you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Savitsky on a magnificent Kosherica cruise or at one of the kosher hotel programs and shuls where, as scholar-in-residence, his entertaining and elucidating presentations captivate audiences in venues near and far. He has served as President and Chairman of the Board of the Orthodox Union (OU), Chairman of Partners in Torah, President of Congregation Anshei Chesed in Hewlett, and is a member of the executive committee of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. A sought-after lecturer, he has spoken extensively throughout North America.

Steve and his lovely wife Genie reside in Woodmere and are treasured members of the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community. He is a member of the Board of Hatzalah of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway and is President of the Vaad HaKashrus of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway. He has lectured extensively throughout North America on an array of fascinating topics.

Several years ago, with the publication of his first book, “Kan Tzipor: Inspiring Stories on Seizing Magic Moments of Opportunity to do Chesed,” Savitsky distinguished himself as a compelling author with his collection of inspirational, true stories. That book generated an enormous response and was the impetus for the transformative Kan Tzipor movement, about seizing moments to do acts of chesed. Now, he has a second book: “Kan Tzipor 2: Life’s Special Moments” in which he brings even more inspiring stories.

“After writing Kan Tzipor, my first book, I was pleased and delighted to receive many calls, texts, and emails from people who were inspired by the message I presented,” Mr. Savitsky shared. “I was also gratified to be told wonderful new stories, some of which are included in my new book, ‘Life’s Special Moments.’ My goal in writing these two “Kan Tzipor” books was not to gain recognition, but rather to create a movement that would transform readers from Torah Jews into ‘Observant Jews.’ My intention is that every one of us should observe our surroundings and try to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

These meticulously curated stories, all of which have been researched and authenticated, train the reader to become an “Observant Jew,” constantly on the alert for magical opportunities to do chesed. We learn this concept from the mitzvah of shiloach hakan, where the Torah instructs us that if we chance upon a bird’s nest and the mother bird is resting on her chicks or eggs, that we do not take the mother with the offspring, but send her away and take the offspring so that “it will be good for you and prolong your days.”

In his Introduction, Mr. Savitsky differentiates the mitzvah of shiloach hakan from other mitzvos: “There is absolutely no preparation necessary before fulfilling this mitzvah,” Savitsky said. “You have to ‘chance upon’ this mitzvah; it must suddenly appear before you with none of the prior planning, such as in observing Pesach, building a sukkah, or even laying tefillin.”

To qualify as a Kan Tzipor moment, four criteria must be met. “The opportunity must come upon us in a totally unexpected way,” said Mr. Savitsky. “Additionally, it must be out of our comfort zone or something difficult for us to do. There should be no one with whom to consult before accepting or declining the offer. If we don’t seize the opportunity and the mother bird flies away on her own without being shooed, the chance to do the mitzvah is lost. Hashem called to us and we weren’t listening or we wavered too long and lost the moment.”

“Life’s Special Moments” is a collection of true, riveting short stories about how people from all walks of life reacted when presented with opportunities to do chesed, which he calls, “magical moments.” Some of these encounters take place in the most unexpected locations, such as a German POW camp, a wedding, on the banks of a Polish river, on a snowbound highway, and many more.

Savitsky reiterates that the Torah states, lema’an yitav lach—you are going to feel exceptionally good about what you did, and the bonus will be v’ha’arachta yamim, your days will also be lengthened.

“I want people to become aware of the countless opportunities that Hashem sends us to enhance the lives of those around us,” he said. “Not a day goes by without being exposed to such short-lived moments. Some might appear to be minor, while others are truly significant, but only if you are part of the movement will you recognize those magical moments that might turn out to be the most meaningful ones of your life.”

Included in the book are the stories of Paul Stern and Lester Tanin, two Jewish-American POWs during WWII who witnessed an extraordinary act of courage on the part of Master Sergeant Roderick Edmonds, a Righteous Gentile who put his own life on the line to save the lives of the Jewish soldiers under his command. They describe detailed accounts of Edmonds’ breathtaking heroism and sterling character when he remained strong and steadfast by the Jewish people, even with a gun pointed at his head.

“Master Sergeant Edmonds was certainly out of his element and far from home, and because he was the highest-ranking officer there and had no one with whom to consult, he had to seize the moment to behave righteously, even when the Nazis demanded that he hand over the Jewish prisoners under his command,” said Savitsky. How the story ends will rivet the reader and fill you with admiration for the brave heroes of WWII, many of whose stories have never been told before.

“The Mishnah in Sanhedrin teaches that whoever saves a single life saves an entire universe,” writes Savitsky. “Imagine then, the huge reward that was earned by Major Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds who, during his Kan Tzipor moment and later, saved so many.”

“Kan Tzipor 2: Life’s Special Moments” guides the reader to search for these special moments by looking for the signs, such as when you are “baderech,” on the road traveling or away from your usual environment, when there is no one to consult, and when we feel out of our comfort zone. If we realize that we are being presented with an opportunity by Hashem to do something special for others, and we don’t allow that opportunity to pass, then our days will be lengthened, as promised in the Torah, both in this world and in the next.

Savitsky underscores the book’s powerful message by sharing an incident he experienced immediately after last Yom Kippur. “After fasting and davening all day, we headed out to the parking lot where I saw an elderly lady all by herself in a wheelchair. I asked her, ‘Are you okay? Do you need some help?’ She replied, ‘No, I’m fine. My husband is on his way out of shul, and I’m waiting for him to finish reciting Kiddush Levanah, after which he’ll wheel me home. Thank you so much for asking.’ 

“As I turned to leave, she added, ‘I want you to know that you are the second person out of the hundreds of people who davened the entire day in shul who stopped to ask me if I needed help! Here I am, confined to a wheelchair and it’s kind of dark in this parking lot and I would have expected more people to have asked if I needed help. But they didn’t and I am truly grateful to you!’”

Savitsky added, “Now, that was not a Kan Tzipor moment, but through the years, I have trained myself to be alert to people who might be in distress and need help. Most of the times they decline, but had I not asked this woman if she needed help, she might have been stuck in that parking lot and I would have missed out on a valuable moment to render aid to someone in need and thus fulfill a Kan Tzipor moment.

“Winston Churchill had a famous quote which I’ll paraphrase as ‘To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.’ My hope is that my book will train my readers to seize those moments and grab what might be their finest hour.” n

Rochelle Maruch Miller is a contributing editor for the Five Towns Jewish Times. She is a journalist, creative media strategist, lecturer, educator, and writes for magazines, newspapers, websites, and private clients. She welcomes your comments at [email protected]. Read more of Rochelle Maruch Miller’s articles at 5TJT.com.