"You Saved Us": A Carpenter's Life Changed by One Act of Kindness

A story shared on social media by Yeshayahu Glinsky quickly captured hearts. In it, he recounts the deeply moving experience of a struggling man in a southern Israeli town. The man was unemployed, burdened by debt, and just trying to buy a few dairy items for his little daughter. But when he arrived at the grocery store and asked to put the items on his tab, the store owner stopped him in front of everyone. "I’m sorry," the grocer said, loud enough for all to hear, "you already owe thousands of shekels. I can’t let you buy more."

As if that embarrassment wasn’t enough, the store owner continued on. “When are you going to pay me? Did you find a job yet?” Unable to hold back, the man broke down crying right there. Through his tears, he promised to repay every shekel even though he had no idea how or when that would be possible.

Among the customers in line was a well-dressed man who looked like he was headed to an important meeting. He had only stopped in to grab something cold to drink. But after the struggling man left, humiliated and empty, this stranger quietly approached the grocer.

“I want to pay off his debt,” he said.

The grocer waved him off. “You don’t need to do that,” he replied. “That man’s a nobody. Lazy, unreliable. Don’t waste your money.”

But the businessman was firm. “How I choose to spend my money is not your concern,” he said. “Tell me how much he owes, and let’s settle it.”

The bill came to 5,267 shekels. The businessman didn’t just cover the debt, he handed over a check for 7,500 shekels. “This way,” he said, “he can buy with dignity for another two or three months.” But he didn’t stop there.

“What did he used to do before he lost his job?” the businessman asked.

“He was a carpenter,” the grocer replied.

The man handed over his business card and said, “Please give this to him. Tell him someone is looking for a carpenter to do some work at home.”

But before he left, the businessman gently pulled the grocer aside and said, “You seem like a good person, but it’s not right to humiliate someone like that in front of others. When you give him my card, first pull him aside. Apologize. Tell him it won’t happen again. He’s already hurting. He doesn’t need anyone adding to his shame.”

The next morning, there was a knock at the businessman’s door. His wife opened it to find a young family she didn’t know: the unemployed man, his wife, and their baby daughter. They were holding a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates.

“You are angels from heaven,” they told her. “You saved us, and we came to say thank you.”

The businessman, overhearing from the kitchen, came to the door and warmly invited them in. The father, with tears in his eyes, said, “You came at the lowest point in my life. You saved us from hunger. I promise, I’ll pay back every shekel even if I have to clean the streets to do it.”

But the businessman smiled and said, “You misunderstood. That wasn’t a gift, it was an advance. You’re a carpenter, aren’t you? You’re going to do some work in my home.”

And so he did. But the kindness didn’t end there. After the renovation was finished, the businessman continued to help him by supporting him as he opened his own custom carpentry business, one that now caters to a high-end clientele.

To this day, that man earns a dignified living. But the businessman never wanted to be praised. “I did what I did because it was the right thing to do,” he said simply. “If every Jew who has would help every Jew who doesn’t, our country would look completely different.”