The power of kindness: a story that changed me

I want to say a few words. Wishing you a good moment, because only the present moment is real and closest to eternity.

Today, I want to share with you a very personal story that played a huge role in shaping me as a person. It happened to me in Azerbaijan almost 39 years ago.

Like all young men in the Soviet Union who turned 18, even if they were students, I was drafted into the Soviet Army. After finishing my first year at Moscow State University, at the end of June, after completing my exams, I found myself at the Moscow draft station. After a long journey, in early July, a few hundred of us ended up in Balajary, a suburb of Baku. That was the first and only time I was in the Azerbaijani SSR. It was a distribution point.

A sergeant approached me and offered to arrange for me to serve in Armenia for 300 rubles. That was a lot of money at the time, and I told him I didn’t have that amount. Three days later, when we were about to be assigned to our final military units, he came back and said, “Alright, at least give me 50 rubles,” apparently unable to find anyone else to pay. I told him I only had 27 rubles. He walked away displeased, saying it was impossible.

I shared this story with some guys I had met during our long journey from Moscow to Baku – just as an amusing episode. Suddenly, 15 minutes later, six or seven of them came up to me, having discussed it among themselves, and handed me 23 rubles. They said they wanted me to be able to serve at home and that it would make them happy. They smiled.

I knew they were giving me their last money – their savings for cigarettes – because they weren’t from wealthy families, and three or five rubles was a significant amount for them. Thanks to these almost strangers – only one of whom I vaguely knew from university – who were of a different nationality, who owed me nothing, I was able to go to Armenia and serve for two years in Leninakan.

I have thought about this episode many times in my life and asked myself three questions. Am I willing to give away my last money or last piece of bread to help someone else? Not a million from a billion, but truly the last that I have. Second, can I feel genuine happiness knowing that someone else, because of me, will get to serve at home while I stay behind in an unfamiliar place, longing for my homeland, my loved ones, whom I may not see for two years? And third, am I prepared to expect nothing in return, to not even wait for gratitude? We didn’t even exchange addresses.

This story became one of my foundational life lessons, shaping me into who I am today.

First, today, I want to express my deepest gratitude to them, not knowing whether they are still alive or how their lives turned out. But if they hear my story, they should know that I always remember those 23 rubles, the kindness they showed me with no expectation of anything in return, and I will never forget it. Second, I want you to know that, because of them, I understood that doing good is not an investment – it’s simply something you do. You pass it on like a relay baton, just as others have done for you, and that in itself brings happiness. I am happy that my wife and I have given away nearly all our wealth to charity, and our children have understood and accepted this.

I asked Veronika to release this recording on a Sunday because, just as Saturday is sacred for Jews and Friday for Muslims, Sunday is a special day for all Christians. Find the strength within yourself, at least once a week, to take a break from the daily grind, the external noise, and routine problems. Take time to reflect on the eternal, the spiritual, no matter how difficult it may be. Have a conversation with yourself, alone, and with God.

I am convinced that goodness is eternal and immortal – it multiplies when done anonymously, without expecting anything in return. Many people, both familiar and unfamiliar to me, have shown me such kindness throughout my life, and I am deeply grateful to them. I have always tried to do the same, as much as I could.

Evil, on the other hand, is finite and mortal. That is why it is aggressive, spectacular, and draws so much attention. Evil grows stronger when we respond to it with more evil. Unfortunately, people find it easier to discuss and remember bad things rather than good ones – to gossip, to write books, to make films. Evil is diverse and attracts more attention, even in the news. We read more bad news than good.

But remember: if there were less goodness, light, and love than evil, the world would have ceased to exist long ago. Goodness, like the air around us, surrounds us invisibly, often taken for granted. By giving everything you have, know, and can do to others – without hoarding, without becoming a slave to the golden calf of material wealth, passions, and desires – I believe this is the true meaning of life, the question that so often troubles many of us. For in doing so, we expand goodness and light in the world for all.

We come into this world naked, and we leave it naked, taking nothing with us to the grave. Not even the pharaohs could escape this fate. Forgive, just as we want to be forgiven when we do wrong. Do not demand punishment for others while asking for mercy for yourself. Treat others as you wish to be treated. That is the golden rule. Do good and be happy. Peace to all of us. And may you have a blessed Sunday. I love you all.