A stranger in the house--only in Israel

Last night we paid a shiva (condolence) call to a dear friend and neighbor who lost her mother z"l. We began talking about condolence calls from people you don't recognize, and being too embarrassed to ask who they are. She recalled the following story about someone who asked, and received an unexpected reply.

While at a neighbor's shiva, a Hassid dressed in tights, kapote, and gartel walked into the house and sat down. A hush fell over the visitors. (I actually saw something similar happen at a recent shiva, but that Hassid brought an entourage.) The mourner, who happened to have many chassidic relatives, asked him if he was related to her. He said no.

"Why have you come?" she asked.

"I'm the repairman," the Hassid said. "I'm here to fix your washing machine."

And he proceeded to do just that.