Harold S. Kushner (1935–2023)

"He was alone. The night was totally dark and he was afraid. He tried to calm his fears by repeating to himself that he was alone and that as long as he was alone nothing bad could happen to him. suddenly, someone seized him from behind and threw him to the ground. He tried to fight back. He had worked hard all his life and he was strong, but his adversary was just as strong as he was. They fought and struggled and wrestled through the night. Neither one able to gain an advantage over the other. "Who is this person?" the man wondered, "Who is exactly as strong as I am? Where did he come from? And what does he want with me?". Then as the first rays of dawn began to appear, he felt the mysterious stranger twist his leg and escape from his grip. The two men, sweating and exhausted, regarded each other with the grudging respect men have for worthy adversaries whom they cannot defeat. The man knew he would never be the same person he had been until just a few hours before."… (mere)