The year is 1917, the communists take over Russia and begin their tyrannical campaign to wipe out religion and Judaism. In Minsk there is a Rabbi, Reb Shiah, who vows no matter the cost, he is going to continue helping others fulfill the Torah. After four years, the Rabbi is "invited" to an interview with the Cheka, the secret police. He puts his affairs on order, says goodbye to his family and prepares for the worst.

At the secret police headquarters, he is ushered into a room. The interrogator greets him cordially and then asks, "Reb Shiah, perhaps you and your family would like to go to Palestine?" Reb Shiah doesn't know what to answer. If he says"Yes", he is disloyal citizen. He doesn't answer.

The interrogator continues, "Many years ago, a widow came running to your home with a small child. She cried our, ‘Reb Shiah, what are we going to do? We have nothing in the house!' You were dressed in your long black Shabbos robe and you had a beautiful gold watch and chain. Without a moment's hesitation, you reached down, grabbed the watch, handed it to her and said, ‘Take this!' For months they lived off the money from the watch."

"That child was me and I have never forgotten it!"

"Reb Shiah," says the interrogator, "for the last four years I have been assigned to your case. It is I who has protected you and watched out for you. Now I am being promoted and there is no possibility it will go well for you with a record like this. The best I can do for you is to help you and your family get to Palestine."

Concluded, Rabbi Dishon, the teller of this story, "Don't think that when you are helping someone that you are only helping him - you are really helping yourself!"