Food for Talk

Someone once concluded a letter to the Rebbe saying that, in essence, he is a Jew who wants to fulfill the Mitzvos of the Torah, yet, he is not [yet] religious and does not keep Shabbos, etc.

The Rebbe addressed this apparent dichotomy in his response: As it is with one’s physical life, talking about the benefits of food, and even having a strong belief in its importance, is to no benefit. One has to actually eat the food. Furthermore, if one does not actually eat food, he will become so weak that he won’t even have strength to talk about it...

So too, with regard to spiritual “food”. One can talk about and have strong beliefs about the importance of Mitvos, and may even espouse to have a strong desire to fulfill them; nevertheless, the Neshama will not be nourished from talk and belief alone. One has to actually do the Mitzvos.

המעשה הוא העיקר

Igros Kodesh Vol 9 – Rosh Chodesh Elul 5714

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Green Stems and Red Petals

A teacher once instructed her students to take out their crayons and paper for "drawing time".

"We are now going to draw," she said.

The students took our their supplies and were just about to begin...

"Wait!" the teacher said. "I will tell you when to start..."

The teacher waited till all of the students placed their crayons back on their desks.

"Today we are going to draw a flower," she instructed.

The children picked up their crayons...

"Wait! Like this..." the teacher said. 

Walking over to the blackboard, the teacher began to draw a green stem and a flower with six red petals, and instructed the students to do the same.

The students dutifully copied the teacher's flower.

And so went art instruction in this class.

One day a child from this class visited a school in another town.

In Hot Pursuit

“Please let water be taken to wash your feet, and recline in the shade of the tree. Let me take for you some bread…”

Once they accepted his invitation, Avraham served the three angels a meal fit for a king, replete with the choicest meat, fatty cream, fresh bread and milk.

Our Chachomim learn from this that a Tzadik says little and does much. Hence, Avraham’s offer for “a little bread” was, in the end, much, much more.

The question is raised: For a Tzadik who spoke little and did much, why did Avraham elaborate so much in the beginning of his invitation. “Please let water be taken, so that you can wash your feet, and rest under the tree.” Surely, a short, “Please come wash your feet and rest” would have sufficed.

Of Lions and Children

The Medrash relates that during the Flood, Noach was once delayed when bringing food for the lion in the Teiva, and the lion attacked him because of that.

Rashi adds that this is what the Posuk means, “A Tzadik receives his ‘payment’ in this world”.

Did Noach really deserve such a punishment? Certainly, having been charged with the enormous and heroic task of caring for the survival of all the species, Noach should have been afforded a bit more consideration!

One of the answers given is especially relevant to parents and educators.

Clean Those Lenses!

So once upon a time there was a man who had a pair of lenses he would wear. One day, he got a smudge on his lenses and he didn't bother wiping it off. The next day, another smudge. He was too busy to clean them. The smudges continued to accumulate until it came to a point that he forgot that the world was actually clear and had straight, smooth lines and features. He started to believe that everything didn't just appear smudged to him, but rather the world itself was actually and truly blurry.

Until one day, someone pointed out his problem to him. He was shocked and overjoyed to realize that he had only forgotten about the importance of cleaning his lens on a regular basis. Sure enough, now he could see things as they really were and from then on, he made sure to clean his lenses anytime they got smudged, so that the accumulation wouldn't happen again. He did not want to get used to that false reality ever again.

Now of course, you have probably figured out that this story is a parable. Obviously people don't think that the world itself is blurry just because their lenses are perpetually dirty. However, I have come to realize that in fact, it is very easy for us to get smudged lenses in a different way.

Education On the Way

"Remember what Hashem has done to Miriam on the way when you have left Mitzrayim."

Why does the Torah tell us when Miriam's punishment took place?

Wouldn't it have sufficed to just remind the Yidden of the punishment alone?

***

The Chofetz Chaim was once travelling in a train. He watched a woman get up and open the window near her seat. A minute later the woman's daughter got up to close the window. The woman got up again to open it, and her daughter came shortly thereafter to close it.

Appealing Apples

The little bird was perched atop a high branch enjoying the summer breeze. Suddenly, the tree began swaying, as a bear began to climb the trunk.

“What are you looking for?” asked the bird.

“Don’t mind me, Birdie,” answered the bear. “I came up here to eat apples…”

“But Bear, this isn't an apple tree,” the bird pointed out. “There are no apples here!”

“That’s ok,” answered the bear. “I brought my own apples.”

***

Rebbi says that the desired path in life for man to choose for himself, is one that serves to beautify its followers, and brings beauty to those around him. (Avos 2:1)

A number of questions arise at first glance:

Three Jews, One Truth

A Chossid once consulted with his Rebbe, “I heard that it’s a good segulah for Parnasa to say Parshas Hamon (the portion of the Torah that describes the Jews’ eating the Mon in the desert).”

His Rebbe answered: “True, it is. But only if it is said before eight o’clock in the morning. After eight o’clock, you need to go out and work…”

***

Parnasa comes from Hashem. And, Hashem tells us what we need to do in order to receive it: וברכך בכל אשר תעשה. Parnasa will come in that which you do. Meaning, Hashem is commanding us to make a vessel in nature, a conduit through which His blessings will reach us.

The Hidden Mitzvah

The Chofetz Chaim once traveled with a Talmid in a taxi cab. After paying the driver, the Chofetz Chaim pointed out to the Talmid that he just did a Mitzah.

“What Mitzvah?” the Talmid asked, “He provided a service, so I had to pay him!”

The Chofetz Chaim explained:
You just fulfilled the Mitzvah of ביומו תתן שכרו, to pay a day-laborer on the day he did the work for you.

Rabbi Chananya Ben Akashia said:
רצה הקב"ה לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצוות
Hashem wanted to give us opportunities to be meritorious (or, to refine us), therefore He gave us many Mitzvos. (Makos 23b)