Can anyone name the Eighth Commandment? I’ll give you a hint: it comes right after “Thou shalt not commit adultery” and before “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” Maybe you recently watched Cecil B. De Mille’s gloriously campy “The Ten Commandments” to honor the late Charlton Heston or to prepare for the Passover holiday which starts tomorrow night. I always loved the scene in that film in which God hands down the commandments to Chuck via a very flashy Technicolor lightning bolt that carves the words into stone tablets hewn from Mt. Sinai. Give up? The Eight Commandment is: THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
I was at a meeting in our synagogue on Tuesday night. Our rabbi had pulled out two of the synagogue’s Torah scrolls including one that had been pilfered from a synagogue in Czechoslovakia by the Nazis and was recovered after the war from the storehouse of Jewish items that were destined for the massive museum Hitler had planned (and had Albert Speers design) that was to showcase the artifacts of a completely extinct culture. We were reading from the Book of Exodus that tells the story of the Ten Commandments being given to Moses. At about 9:00 pm I went to my car to get a book of Torah commentary that was in my back seat. My car was parked on the side of the building in a well-lit side street just off busy Pico Blvd. At 9:30, I left the synagogue and went to my car, only to discover that in that short time, someone had smashed in the driver’s side window of my car. There was so much glass on the street it looked like one of the Ten Plagues had hit the neighborhood. With a sinking feeling in my chest, I went to open my trunk. Backpack containing my MacBook computer, my daughter’s video camera, and all sorts of other personal items: Gone. Gym bag containing clothes, shoes, and expensive Bose headphones: Gone. Green canvas Marshall Field’s bag containing all of the hard copy page proofs for my current freelance book project: Gone. These proofs represented months of work and the pages were marked up with hundreds of comments written by me, the authors, and professional copyeditors and proofreaders. This was the only complete set and I was planning to copy the pages the next morning and send them off to the designer so she could enter all the corrections.
I was in such a state of shock that I just stood there gaping at my empty trunk and the glass that was everywhere. WHY was I so stupid as to leave all that stuff in my car? I never figured anyone would think there’d be anything valuable in my old beat-up 1994 Honda Civic and that parking space felt so safe right next to the building. WHY, after my computer crash last fall, had I still not adopted a regular back-up routine? The loss of my computer, with endless personal and work files, photographs, and videos was huge, but I was more worried about the missing canvas bag since that would effectively decimate the project and, at the very least, kill any chance of making the swiftly approaching publishing deadline. “Why, Rabbi, why?” I asked, but despite the drama I knew it was just “stuff” that was lost and I was frankly glad we hadn’t walked out a few minutes earlier to see the theft in progress. If I saw someone bashing in my window, I’m sure I would have yelled out and who knows what could have happened? After talking to the police, I removed as much glass as I could from my car seat and drove home to send up an S.O.S. to my work colleagues. Kendall had her own car there and she and our intrepid rabbi started wandering the streets of the neighborhood to see if any of my items had been discarded by the criminals. Sure enough, they found several paperback books, three of Leah’s undeveloped disposable cameras, and a stack of manuscript pages I no longer needed that were also in my trunk. What was the overall lesson I was supposed to learn from this experience? Detachment from things? Acceptance? Living in the moment? Stop being so trusting and start backing up my freaking computer?
Then a miracle happened. At 1 in the morning, we got a call from a police officer who had no idea I had filed a theft report earlier in the evening. “Did you lose a canvas bag?” he asked? My heart skipped a beat. “Does it say Marshall Field’s on the side?” I asked, holding my breath. “Yes it does. Can you come pick it up right away?” When I got to the Wilshire Station, Officer Chi came out with the bag that contained all of my pristine work documents and other items I had forgotten were in there like a Netflix video and several CDs. Officer Chi explained that miles from the scene of my break-in, a woman had called the police after a speeding vehicle had hurled something out of its window onto her lawn. She thought it might be a bomb so she called the authorities. When Officer Chi retrieved the bag he dug through the contents and found a faded carbon of a FedEx airbill that contained my barely visible phone number. Did I mention how much I love the LAPD?
Still no computer or other lost items, of course, and I don't expect to see them again. I’m grateful that no one was hurt as a result of this dumb crime. I will NEVER leave valuables in my car again, and finally, after my second total loss in five months, I will institute a regular back-up plan for my data. The important manuscripts are now copied and safely in the designer’s hands in New York. Maybe the thieves looked into the bag and threw it out the window because they didn’t want to keep these wonderful literacy techniques from the children of America…
Now I just wish Charlton Heston were alive and still in his prime. He’d be the perfect choice to play Officer Chi, my own personal Moses.
Happy Passover!
Happy Pesach! Glad that some of your valuables were returned. I try to NEVER leave anything of value in my car, even when it's parked in my driveway. Being an L.A. native has taught me this lesson.
I used a similar photo of Heston as Moses for the cover of our family hagaddah. Brilliant minds think alike!
Posted by: Ellen Bloom | April 18, 2008 at 11:52 AM
A short comment for this time around. I came upon your blog via the Anne Frank entry and have been browsing through. I wanted to let you know I find your writing great, so I've got you saved on my favorites and will come back often!
Posted by: Isabella | April 18, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Danny, I am so sorry this happened to you. Outside of an actual physical assault, there's no worse feeling than being stolen from. I am glad some of your property made its way back to you, and will hope that the LAPD can track your Mac to a pawnshop somewhere.
Hugs to Leah, too. This had to be devastating for her.
Posted by: Jane | April 18, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Very sorry to hear that, Danny, but I'm glad you got your manuscript back. That's the only truly irreplacable item. I've had my share of break-ins, too, I'm afraid. When I was 18 I went out on a date with a girl, and I still had my bass guitar in the car from band practice. When we got out of the restaurant, the car had been broken into and the bass gone.
It was worth quite a few sympathy points from the girl, though.
Posted by: psychotoddler | April 18, 2008 at 01:50 PM
Happy Passover to you Danny and your family.
I am so sorry to hear about the theft. That is such an awful feeling when you have things stolen.
I am glad you and your family are all right.
We had our Passover Seder three weeks ago when Adam and Sarah were home from college. Since the school breaks are at the time of the Christian holidays, it worked best to pretend it was Pesach. We had a lovely service. Michael's brisket was awesome!
Posted by: Laurie | April 18, 2008 at 10:45 PM
I'm sorry! I posted my comment without finishing it last night because suddenly I was having internet connection problems.
What I wanted to finish saying was how terrible the experience to have important things stolen, but thankfully your manuscript was found! Just recently my mother-in-law's bicycle was stolen from right in front of her home while she was inside for only a few moments. A very horrible feeling for her, especially since she lives alone! It's still fresh in my mind.
Do keep us updated on your book progress!
Posted by: Isabella | April 19, 2008 at 02:52 AM
If my heart sank as I was reading this entry, I cannot even begin to imagine what yours did, Danny. Glad the manuscript was recovered. I do my very best never to leave anything of value in my car, and I try to back up my computer as regularly as possible.
And a very happy Passover to you and your family.
Posted by: Elisabeth | April 19, 2008 at 07:13 AM
I cannot believe this happened to you, ONCE AGAIN...! OY OY OY! And that you did not have a back-up plan in place after the last time five months ago???
Oh Danny Darling...God is trying to tell you something.
PLEASE, "BACK UP"..."BACK UP"...."BACK UP"!
I came by to wish you and Kendall a Very Happy Passover, my dear....It certainly seems like it may be a peculiar one.
Will we ever see each other?
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hillsl | April 19, 2008 at 06:37 PM
Glad you got the other stuff back, and I hope the computer was at least insured, even if it wasn't backed up.
And I'm the last one to lecture, since I still need to back up and just finally got renter's insurance.
Posted by: Melinda | April 20, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Hag Sameach Danny.
Yikes. Just yikes. Most of what I was going to tell you has been more than eloquently covered above. Except maybe this for emphasis: Lady of the Hills (I don't know her to call her old, much less oldold) is absolutely right. G-d IS probably trying to tell you something. One of life's little ironies is that your notebook crash scared the hell outta me; I backed up mine (for the first time in my life, I might add - I had to look up how to do it). And while it hasn't crashed yet (knock wood), I sleep a tad better. Thank you.
Oh, and I'm gonna make sure I don't keep anything valuable in the car, either.
Posted by: Larry | April 20, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Oh man! I'm sorry about your laptop but the return of the manuscript was such a relief to read about, I can't imagine what it must have felt like to get it back. LAPD and a good samaritin saved the day. This reinforces my belief in "little hints from God." Happy Passover.
Posted by: Ian | April 20, 2008 at 03:44 PM
So sorry to hear about this unfortunate incident and invasion of your personal space. Am glad some stuff was retrieved, ie. the manuscript. I've always worried about others' work in my possession going amiss via couriers, for example. I've done the majority of my freelance editing in hard copy with red pencil, so you can imagine if no copies of the work are made, how much effort is lost.
Happy Passover to you all.
Posted by: Pearl | April 21, 2008 at 09:34 PM
I'm so sorry. It makes me sick that it happened to you. I'm also glad that at least your manuscript was retrieved. Out of everything, I'm sure that was the most important.
Posted by: churlita | April 22, 2008 at 11:59 AM
It's that Honda Civic, the gift that keeps on giving. I had one and it was broken into TWICE. The first time was in Park Slope in Brooklyn and the second time was at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. I lost clothes, a camera and my love of that car. Evidently the Hondas are the car of choice for breakins.
Posted by: ByJane | April 23, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Ohhhhhhhhh, Danny, ya just gotta watch this YouTube vid, it's Jewerriffic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7iQRFP_e90
Stay on groovin' safari,
Tor
Posted by: Tor Hershman | April 24, 2008 at 05:36 AM
How horrible is it to be robbed while you're at synagogue????? What a terrible loss!
But truly a moment of grace when your manuscript was recovered and the police took the time to try and find the owner of the bag.
A night of spiritual whiplash, huh?
Posted by: V-Grrrl | April 24, 2008 at 04:52 PM
Wow! What a story! Such a gam zu (this too, is good). My sister-in-law thought I was such an idiot for shlepping my laptop with me to the kotel (I had an appointment later with a prof at Hebrew U and had to show him something).
Who would break into a trunk, s-i-l asked?
Welcome to my mom's world.
Posted by: therapydoc | April 24, 2008 at 05:29 PM
Oy Danny...what a lousy thing to have happen. With a semi-happy ending though. So sorry...only you could turn such a crappy incident into a great post!
Posted by: cruisin-mom | April 25, 2008 at 07:22 AM
Painful. Painful. Painful. How will I go to sleep knowing that my entire music collection is out there in my trunk as we speak? So sorry, Danny.
Sue
Posted by: Sue Katz: Consenting Adult | April 27, 2008 at 08:26 PM
Danny: There is more wonderful meaning in this experience than any comment of mine can convey (and I'd only be repeating what the 19 above mine have said).
But it did bring to mind W. Clement Stone's theory of "inverse paranoia": it's just possible that the Universe is conspiring to **help** you.
Hope you had a great Passover.
Posted by: David | April 28, 2008 at 08:22 AM
And by the way: wouldn't it have just sucked to lose a Marshall Field's bag?!
Posted by: David | April 28, 2008 at 08:22 AM
Still thinking of this post...and how my cousin lost his family's photos and his entire record collection from his trunk.
I hope you'll be backing stuff weekly now if not daily.
Posted by: Judy | April 29, 2008 at 08:44 AM
What a violation to have your car broken into like that. I have an old car and (wrongly, it seems!) have felt break in would never happen to me.
AND, what an unexpected blessing to have the irreplaceable marked ms. returned to you through such an amazing sequence of events! That is so great.
Posted by: Julie Voss | April 29, 2008 at 09:11 AM