Story: Amazon Lulav Delivery

Rabbi Arieh Raichman, Shliach to Manaus, the capital city of Brazil’s vast and isolated Amazon region, related the following story about his nail-biting quest to obtain a set of Lulav and Esrog before the onset of Yomtov, which he acquiesced to share with our readers.

Relates Rabbi Raichman:

Every year we order Lulavim and Esroguim kits from S. Paulo for the Chabad House and several local community members. This year, aside from the order increase, Baruch Hashem, there was Chabad House’s change in address. For the past six years we have been serving the Jewish Amazon community along with the hundreds of tourists. However, we still do not have a permanent place, and every few years the owner decides to stop renting out his home and our search for a new Beit Chabad location begins. That is exactly what happened a few months ago and this incident is a result of that move.

On Thursday, before the Chag we phoned to ask about our Lulav and Esroguim order, and found out that it had been sent by plane over night on Wednesday and would soon arrive at the door. Thursday came and no delivery. On Friday right before Shabbos, I called the Lulav/Etrog company in S. Paulo and they said it should arrive any moment as another city in Brazil had just received theirs. Only on Shabbat did it dawn on me that although informed about the change of address, the company could have sent it to our previous address. I decided to take a walk towards the post office and see if they could help. However, it was closed. I then walked to our previous address that had a sign, “For Sale,” and asked the neighbors if a mailman passed by looking for our address. One neighbor said, “Yes. Someone plain dressed, was looking to deliver a box. I think it was an oven.” At least now I knew something for us was in Manaus.

As I walked back to the Chabad House I started thinking about Rabbi Deren’s famous story and the concert that was scheduled for Sunday that he had only sold a few tickets to. He wrote a letter in his mind to the Rebbe, and it all worked out. I did the same thing, and opened Igrot Kodesh to Vol. 29: p. 218. It was a letter about being happy with all aspects in one’s life, along with a blessing that there will be good news. After reading this I was calm and knew it would work out.

Motzei Shabbat I immediately called S. Paulo and confirmed that they had sent it to the previous address. They provided me with the record locator and I ran in search for the transportation company. They did not answer the phone as they had closed over the weekend. However, I decided to visit their deposit and see if there was someone there that could help. The lights were dim and no one in sight. I then drove to the cargo department in the airport. I arrived at 10 p.m., and knocked on their office. A man opened the door and said he was about to close. However, after hearing my plea, he decided to help and suggested that I return to the deposit after midnight as there would be people there. In the meantime the Lulav/ Etrog company felt bad about the mistake and was concerned for our Chag. He offered to send someone on the next plane out, just so that we could have our Lulavim and Etroguim on time for the Chag. I told him not to worry, and that it would all work out, B”H.

At five minutes to midnight I knocked on the deposit door as the lights was already on, and they agreed to help. There was just one issue. They could not find my package. They asked that I wait for another 10 minutes as Fred, the head of the team would soon arrive. Fred arrived and said that since his company does not deliver to residences, they had hired another company to make the delivery to the Chabad House. The Lulavim were with them. He provided me with a number that no one answered to. He realized the seriousness of this issue and gave me his number to call for more help. It was already one in the morning and I would have to try the next day.

I kept calling Fred and the delivery company the entire day, but no answer. Finally after texting Fred, he texted me back with the number to the director of the company, Kaue. We called Kaue at 12 p.m. and he spoke rather harshly saying, “I am sorry. Today is Sunday, the day of Rest and the day of family. I am not in Manaus. You should have figured this out on Friday. Call me on Monday morning at 8 a.m. and we will resolve this.” I ended up getting his email and sending him the correct information to make the delivery on Monday or Tuesday.  After an hour I received a text from him, writing the same thing he had said on the phone, but in a much nicer tone.

I responded with the following text, “I agree with you. However on Friday we did not know about the address error. We were waiting for the delivery at the wrong address. We discovered the mistake only Saturday night when we called S. Paulo. Inside that box are plants that are used for a Jewish holiday that lasts for 7 days. It is found in the Bible- Levitucus 23:39-41. There are people and an entire Jewish community waiting to fulfill this commandment. We are asking for an exception- Rabbi Arieh.” In the next text he asked for the correct address and an hour and a half before the Chag the Lulav sets were delivered to the Chabad House. The Amazon community received their lulavim and Etroguim.

Chabad of Manaus is organizing a traveling raffle as a part of a capital campaign to build a permanent Jewish establishment in the Amazon. For more information, click here.