This past week's d'var Torah from Rabbi Sender Haber mentioned a precious exchange he had with the Rebbe, shlit"a. His own application is understandably very Rebbe-esque.
About ten years ago I called Reb Michel Twerski of Milwaukee to tell him that I was engaged. His reaction was, unfortunately, unique.
“Reb Sender”, he said to me, “this phone call is such a treasure”.
He said it in a way that I could almost envision him taking my phone call and wrapping it up carefully to store in a box for future admiration.
Everybody else was asking me questions about the past and the future: How long did you go out? Where will you live? When is the wedding? Reb Michel taught me to treasure the moment and bask in my simcha. When we hear that a baby was born we tend to ask the most inconsequential questions: How much did he weigh? How long was the labor? When will you name her?
Imagine if we would react to a birth by commenting on the new Neshama and the Kedusha he or she brings to the world. We could take a minute and treasure it; or we could rather than using wonder about the next step. We should focus on the happiness of the married couple or the new parents instead of on the timetable for the Kiddush or the main course.
In the same vein, it seems to me that if we appreciated the value and beauty of each Mitzvah, we would not be so anxious to leave Mitzvos behind in the quest for bigger and better ones.
To read the entire article, click the link below:
Thank you to Joel Saltzman for pointing it out.
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