By Howard Meyerowtiz

Chaya bat Nechama was a joyous woman who loved having Shabbos guests. She was an excellent cook and talented baker, and the Jewish families in her town were always made to feel welcomed at her Shabbos table. Each Thursday, singing quietly to herself, she bustled about the kitchen of her snug cottage, baking delicious sweet desserts and scrumptious challahs, and each Friday afternoon there were pots of different sizes bubbling away on the stove and assorted meats and kugels roasting in the oven giving off wondrous aromas.

While the food was cooking, Chaya worked hard cleaning her home, making it ready for Shabbos. She wasn’t overly fastidious, but for the past few months, after stepping back to see how sparkling clean everything looked, she always spotted a bit of shmutz in the corner by the fireplace hearth. It wasn’t a lot of dirt, really not very big, but just enough to nudge her each Friday afternoon.

Then, one Friday afternoon, as Chaya bat Nechama sat down with a hot glass of tea and a piece of mandelbrot to take a break, she saw a small grey field mouse curled up asleep on the fireplace hearth. She leaned down and not wanting to startle the little creature spoke quietly.

“Hello, little mouse.”

The mouse slowly opened her eyes and because of the soothing tone of Chaya’s voice knew she had nothing to fear. 

“Hello to you, too,” the mouse said quietly as it sat up.

“So, nu, who are you and what are you doing in my house?” asked Chaya curiously.

“I am Minde Mouse and I’ve been visiting your home each Friday afternoon for the past few months. Because of the delicious smells wafting from your stove and the laughter that echoes through your windows each Shabbos, we creatures in the nearby woods are aware of you and your home. Your cottage seems to glow each Shabbos evening; a glow that brings a sense of warmth and comfort to those of us living in these woods.”

Minde paused for a moment and then continued. 

“I was curious what your home was like on the inside, so I discovered a way to sneak in and found a spot on this corner of the hearth to observe you and your guests each Shabbos evening. And each Shabbos afternoon, I sit and share with my forest friends all the joy and wonder I’ve seen in your home. I apologize for coming in uninvited and won’t do it again.”

Chaya sat thoughtfully for a moment and then said,”I am flattered that you and your friends think so well of my home, so you are invited to come as often you like. It will be very pleasant to have your company Friday afternoons. But, there is one problem.” She then directed her gaze to the tip of Minde’s tail where there was attached a walnut size dust bunny. 

The two laughed. “I’ll make sure there will be no further dust bunnies,” agreed a smiling Minde.

From that time on, each Friday afternoon Minde was a special guest – dust bunny free, of course – in Chaya Bat Nechama’s home. Sometimes they spoke, catching up on the week’s events in each other’s life, but most often they just nodded to acknowledge their presence to one another, because in a true friendship sometimes that is all that is needed.

Howard Meyerowitz is a Ledger staff member. He lives in Bloomfield with his wife, Susan. The father of two grown daughters, he delights his two grandchildren with his original and imaginative Shabbat tales.