The Kiddush Hashem that Came From Craigslist

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Sefas Tamim Foundation

Craig Newmark is the founder of what is known as “Craigslist” which was established in 1994.   Nineteen years later, Craigslist became the origin-cause of a widely reported and remarkable incident involving everyday emes.  Rabbi Noach Muroff needed a piece of furniture for his home office.  He had found one on Craigslist and bought it.

However, the top of the desk protruded beyond the bottom part of the desk and presented a hurdle to get it through the door.   and it would have been more efficient it wouldn’t exactly fit through the door.

Rabbi Muroff unscrewed the top of the desk and found a bag behind the file drawers.  That bag contained some $98,000 in cash.  It was past 11:00 PM, but the Rabbi and his wife called the previous owner and told her about the money.  They then returned the $98,000.

The rabbi and his wife took their four children for the drive to return the money.  He remarked, “Both my wife and I were raised as Orthodox Jews, and this is what we were taught from a young age. To do what is right..”

The incident was reminiscent of a story recorded in the Midrash (Dvarim Rabbah 3) where the great Rabbi, Shimon Ben Shetach had purchased a donkey from an Ishmaelite.  His students had found a precious stone that had been obscured during the purchase, hanging around the donkey’s neck.  Rav Shimon Ben Shetach said, “I purchased a donkey. I did not purchase a precious stone.”  The Ishmaelite responded, “Blessed be Hashem, the G-d of Shimon Ben Shetach.”

The Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach incident had entered in the annals of the literary oeuvre of Torah sh’b’al peh.  The Rabbi Muroff incident had made the rounds of newspapers and internet sites across the world.

The story is inspirational and is reflective of the value of everyday emes.  We must recall that emes is the signet ring, so to speak, of the Creator Himself.  Following it is a fulfillment of the Mitzvah of “v’halachta bidrachav – walking in His path.”

The incident happened in New Haven, Connecticut.  Now the Rabbi and his family live in Scottsdale, Arizona.  He and his wife both work hard at the Torah Day School of Phoenix and Rabbi Muroff is also the Associate Rabbi in an outreach shul called, “Ahavas Torah.”.  The two of them continue being a shining example of Torah and everyday emes.

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