A woman dressed as a medical professional – wearing scrubs – attempted to kidnap a newborn from an Orange County, CA hospital in a tote bag. The fake medical professional told the mother that the doctor wanted to see her and suggested that she take a shower. The mother did and she grabbed the baby and placed the child in her bag. Luckily the woman was apprehended and the baby was returned to its mother.

But another story in the news did not have such a happy ending. Another woman pleaded guilty in February to abducting a baby in 1987, 25 years ago. She kidnapped a 19 day old infant from Harlem Hospital, who was admitted because she had a fever. Since that time, Ann Pettway raised the baby on her own. A week ago she was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Two years ago, the baby, now 23, sought to obtain prenatal care during her own pregnancy. The doctors asked for her birth certificate and the young woman’s journey to identify birth parents began when Ms. Pettway could not provide it. The young woman named Carlina contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. DNA confirmed that she was Carlina White, the daughter of Carl Tyson and Joy White.

Can you imagine what the birth parents feel? Imagine the confusion, anger and fear that Carlina feels. Imagine how alone she feels, how betrayed? In the week when Leiby Kletzky’s murderer pleads guilty and we recall on this day two years ago the murder of one of our own members, we must place into perspective this whole story. But just imagine the confusion and the trauma involved. A couple lose a 19 day old baby. Carl Tyson read the following at the sentencing: “I never had a chance to put my daughter on a school bus.” The mother stated, “I only spent 19 days with my daughter, but those were the most memorable days of my life.”

The difference between the two cases, 25 years apart? In 1987, they did not place ankle monitors on newborns. They do now and can prevent abductions of infants, as they did earlier this week Thank God. The post-partum units in hospitals have very tight security. If a baby is being transported out of the hospital for the first time, the elevators are locked shut and hospital personnel escort the baby and the parent or guardian.

It’s never really a compliment to speak about one’s ankles, heels or feet. Feet don’t evoke much confidence in anything. The Kabbalists speak of the heart and of the head. But the opening comments of Rashi in this week’s parsha offer a certain level of prominence to our lower extremities.

Why is the word ‘eikev’ used in the beginning of the parsha, which actually has become the name of the parsha? The Hebrew words ‘asher’ or ‘ki’ denoting ‘that’ could have been used. Rashi famously suggests that if we listen to those mitzvos that we ordinarily would trample with our heels – dash b’akevav – then Hashem promises to keep His covenantal word. Rashi reminds us that often salvation comes from the small, not from the large; from the hidden, not from the celebrated; from the downtrodden not the thoroughbred.

If you think of the names of parshiyos, a good few reference our lower halfs: Lech Lecha, Vayigash, Behaaloscha, N’tzavim, Vayelech while Vayikra, Emor and Re’eh reference speech and vision.

Specifically, the lowest part of our bodies, are our heels. It is there where the electronic bracelets are placed on newborns to protect them from horrible potential kidnappers. The newest Jewish heroine, Ali Raisman’s Gold medal performances are because of her Olympic champion heels, which supported her, caught her graceful moves and leaps and literally catapulted her to stardom.

Our third patriarch is named for that lowly and callous part of the body. It’s not merely that he was holding on to Eisav’s heel and was called forever more Yaakov. He connected his upper extremity to the lower extremity. He brought both full circle.

As a matter of fact, the final Mishna in Sota declares that in the footsteps of redemption, there will be a proliferation of chutzpa. The Mishna actually uses the word chutzpa. The Hebrew renders ‘ikvisa d’mashicha.’ The heels of the Messiah. I believe it was the Vilna Gaon who explained the term. The heel is the most unfeeling and insensitive part of the body. If you had to choose anywhere on the body to be stuck with a pin, I think the heel would be a great candidate. The Gaon suggested that just when we are ready for Mashiach, we will not at all see it or more importantly feel it. Mashiach will come when we are at a height of spiritual numbness.

But I would like to turn this idea around. If we can be sensitive to the plight of our heels – to that which is usually unfelt – that is when Mashiach will come. When we feel the pain of others, when we care about that which is usually under the radar, that is when Mashiach will come. When we show care when most don’t that’s when we can expect redemption.

I have not spoken the past few weeks due to a week off and two glorious weeks of our kollel. You have been privileged to hear Sarah Hochman, Rabbi Yosef Blau and Rabbi Michael Taubes. I could speak about the kollel, about the Siyum Hashas and what it was like davening with close to 100,000 Jews all answering Amen together. We can talk more about the Olympics. But today I choose to speak about those things which do not make the front pages and get the most ink.

A story is told about the late Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky. He was the rabbi of a small town in Lithuania prior to his arrival in North America. Every so often he would go to the local post office to mail a letter. He noticed that the clerk behind the desk was not too intelligent. He constantly gave him too much change for the stamps he was buying. Each time Rav Yaakov would return the extra kopeks back to the post office.

At one point, in the middle of the night, a knock came on the door of the Kaminetzky home. It was the postal clerk. Rav Yaakov was a bit confused and thought that whatever it was – a few kopeks here or there – could probably wait. The young clerk admitted that he was listening to those around him spewing the age-old libels that Jews were lowlifes because they were cheap and dishonest with money. He told Rav yaakov hat he always inflated the change to see if these anti-Semitic allegations were true. He was convinced that they were not true and just racist and bigoted ignorant hate. He had heard that the next day there would be a huge pogrom and round up of the Jews. He came in the middle of the night to warn Rav Yaakov and his family. Indeed, the Kaminetzky family was saved from the horrors of the Shoah. All because of a few pennies and kopeks people don’t even pick up when they drop. We just trample on them. But that specific time, that which is trampled saved the life of one of the Torah community’s royal families. This is Rashi’s message. Greatness is not in quantity but in quality. Sometimes greatness is a very small act or noticing something or someone that one would not ordinarily recognize. It is those types of observations that maintain and continue our covenant with Hashem.