An exciting tribute from a rabbi who traveled on the subway, went viral: A passenger on the New York subway documented Rabbi Gabriel Benyon, a Chabad emissary in Panama City, taking off his shoes and handing them over to an African-American man, apparently a homeless man, who boarded a barefoot car.
“Can I give you those shoes?” The rabbi is heard asking. The man thanked him excitedly and measured the shoes (which matched his size), to the applause of the passengers. Just before he went down, he happily said, “I have a new style.”
To a passenger who took pictures, he explained: “We went shopping in New York today and bought a pair of sneakers. On the way back, on the subway, a man without shoes came up. A few minutes passed, and I thought to myself, why can I buy new sneakers – while this man goes barefoot on the subway? “So I took off my shoes and handed them to him, and then I put on my new sneakers.”
The rabbi added: “We should always be vigilant. We should always try to think how good we can do to another person, because if someone sees another person in a difficult situation, it is our job to help him.”