Being the editor of IMAGE Magazine has been the precursor to many incredible experiences. I have traveled; met many influential people, heads of state, governors, senators, congressmen and a few Israeli and international politicians. I had the merit to meet and be blessed by many important rabbis, both in the US and in Israel. Yet, these experiences, while very exciting and memorable, did not hold a candle to the awe I felt the day my husband, Ben-Gurion, and I had the honor of visiting Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in his home.
Although I’m usually calm in these situations, I was very nervous about meeting Rabbi Yosef. When Ben-Gurion and I entered his home, the Rabbi was sitting on a couch. Ben-Gurion sat next to him. I, the only woman in the room, unsure of my place and wanting to be respectful, sat down on the other side of the room. Immediately noticing this, the rabbi questioned who I was and if I understood Hebrew. Upon learning that I was Ben-Gurion’s wife, Rabbi Yosef motioned to me, with a smile on his face, to come closer and sit next to my husband. I respectfully gestured that I was fine where I was, but the Rabbi insisted that I come closer. Sensing that I felt out of place and uneasy, Rabbi Yosef made an extraordinary effort to include me in the conversation about IMAGE Magazine, which he complimented and gave a blessing for its continued success along with personal blessings.
Rabbi Yosef went out of his way to make me feel comfortable in his home. I found it absolutely incredible that a Holy rabbi of such stature and prominence was worried about me—an average woman—being comfortable in his presence.
That day I learned an enormous lesson. Very few people can be a Torah giant or have a photographic memory, but each of us can emulate Rabbi Yosef’s ways by making sure that visitors feel comfortable in our homes and by treating all people with respect and dignity.
