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The Treasure in My Black Box

When I couldn’t find the black velvet jewelry box with my diamond earrings, I didn’t worry — not immediately.
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September 8, 2022
Mark Johnson / Getty Images

When I couldn’t find the black velvet jewelry box with my diamond earrings, I didn’t worry — not immediately. It was nearly time to light Shabbat candles, so I put on a different pair of earrings and headed to the dining room. As I struck the match, I remembered that the previous week, I had placed my diamond earrings in their box and then hurriedly stuffed the little nest in the middle of a bureau drawer. I’d find it the next morning.

The next morning I did not find it.

I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” but I’d be tempted.   

I rifled around in the drawer where I was all but certain I had tucked the goods. I have a jewelry case, but it would be the first place anyone would ransack if our home were burglarized. I grew up in a struggling middle-class home and take great pleasure in wearing the bling my husband has given me. I don’t take for granted either his hard work or his love. I wouldn’t go quite so far as to say that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” but I’d be tempted.   

My worry about rising crime led me to adopt a haphazard and dumb method of tucking away my valuables. “Aha! No one would look HERE!” I’d think, secreting my sparkles in a location too clever by half. Causing myself needless anxiety, I’d later paw and sweep my hand underneath, behind, and through various locations while on the hunt. Once, inspired by the arrest of a member of Congress who gave new meaning to the phrase “cold, hard cash,” I stuck my diamonds in the freezer. Sometimes by the time I was reunited with my 14-karat treasure, it was too late to wear it to the wedding or the party. I’d berate myself, “Don’t do that again!” But then I’d do it again. 

This past Shabbat when I again misplaced my jewels, we read the parsha of Re’eh, adding to my chagrin. “Re’eh” means “see!” Moses was warning us before we entered the land of Israel, “See! I place before you today a blessing and a curse,” referring to the blessings that flow from following the Torah’s commandments, and the curses we suffer for discarding them. Throughout the day I asked myself what I was meant to see in this situation.     

I love Shabbat and the peace and tranquility it (usually) brings. I plan for it, cook for it, dress up for it. It is my pleasure to honor this day of kedusha. But as the day went on, my gnawing anxiety mocked my spiritual connection to Shabbat. Distressed and embarrassed, I admitted the situation to Jeff.     

“Don’t worry. We’ll find it after Havdalah,” he said with confidence. 

“How do you know? I’ve already searched everywhere.”

“I need to have a calm wife, so I’ll take the place apart until I find it,” he said. That’s my man. 

Later that afternoon, Jeff convinced me to go with him to a class about Elul. I wasn’t in the mood, but I needed an act of spiritual redemption. During the class I was reminded that Torah represents our true diamonds: brilliant, tough, precious, the source of our eternal wealth and beauty. However, I can multitask both spiritual and materialistic thoughts and continued to pester God — politely — to please help us find the earrings. I really appreciate them! I added for good measure.     

It took Jeff less than 30 seconds of rummaging to unearth the box and ask, “Is this what you’re looking for?” I was gobsmacked. I had thoroughly combed that drawer earlier. Well, maybe not so “thoroughly.” His ability to “see” in an instant what had eluded me for hours made me feel slightly ashamed — I should have had faith that God was in charge and that everything would work out in the end.          

Opening the box, my earrings winked at me, as if to say, “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.” Relief washed over me. The return of my outer sparkle restored my inner calm. It’s easy to get carried away with materialism, but I think it’s also okay to love having “the finer things in life.” They can represent long-term investment of hard work and long-lasting love. They can also capture the light of my Shabbat candles, shining in my window.


Judy Gruen’s latest book is “The Skeptic and the Rabbi: Falling in Love with Faith.” 

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