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Sponsor |  chaimke | May 12, 2006 7:40am | The ARIZa"L and the baby chicks
Rabbi Isaac Luria, (the ARIZa"L, or He'Ari - The Holy Lion, of Sainted Memory) who lived from 1534 to 1572 was the founder of the Modern School of Kabbalah, known as Lurianic Kabbalah. It is told that during his travels he once stayed at a very wealthy individual's house, who treated him as royalty. At the end of his sojourn, knowing that he could never repay in money for the wonderful hospitality, he asked the host what he could do for him.
The man responded that he'd been married for a few years, had two wonderful children born in short succession within the first three years since the nuptials... but husband and wife wanted more. Although the doctors could find no physical or health impediment to either spouse being able to have more children, the wife just couldn't get pregnant. He asked the ARIZa"L to bless the household with more children.
In those days many people kept chikens in the house and these were free to roam through most rooms. The ARIZa"L asked to see where the chickens drank water, the host and his wife showed him the area. Turning to the wife R. Luria said that when they first moved in there used to be a short ladder that the little chicks would climb on to get get to the water, while the full grown ones had no problem reaching it on their own. After a few years when the little ladder became smelly and rotting, the lady of the house had her servants get rid of it. The baby chicks now found it very difficult to reach the water and they cried out. The Almighty heard the tears in their chirping and stopped the household from having more children...
The ARIZa"L then told them that if they would bring in another small ladder that would enable the baby chickens to easily get their water again, they would be blessed with more children. They listened and and that same day another stepladder was brought in... within the year they had twins! |
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|  |  313149 | May 12, 2006 8:13am | What a delightful and insightful story! There is much to be learned from our Sages of blessed memory. Thank you for taking this initiative, Chaimke!
Shabbat shalom u'mevorach. |
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Sponsor | | chaimke | May 12, 2006 8:47am | A parable from the Chafetz Chaim...
The Chafetz Chaim (Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen Kagan, 1838-1933) was once asked by a mourning husband why his wife had died at a young age. The response came in the form of a parable:
A poor Jew was walking on the road amidst a thundering, driving rain... He could barely walk, but had to get to his destination. Hoping to see someone who could give him a ride he soon noticed headlights a short distance away. He motioned for the driver to stop and a few seconds later a heavily filled truck stood next to him. He asked the driver for a ride but the answer was:
"There is barely enough room for me, and I'm the driver. I am carrying all your sins. I'm sorry, there is no room for you." The poor man, his heart broken kept on walking, slipping and falling, along the long road...
After a while he saw another set of headlights, this time a smaller truck. It too stopped and offered him a ride.
"What are you carrying?" the passenger asked.
"Just your good deeds," came the response, "there is plenty of room here!"
Soon they arrived before an imposing building - The Heavenly Court. The first truck had already unloaded its cargo, the second truck's contents were also put on the scale... however, the other side barely budged... The verdict was clear, the man had failed in so many ways...
As the judges were about to pronounce the obvious guilty verdict, a loud screeching of brakes was heard from the outside, and a third driver run in almost out of breath.
"Am I too late?" he asked... "Have you pronounced a verdict, yet?"
"No," said one of the Judges, "what are you bringing us?"
"I apologize for being delayed, I broke down a couple of times. I was carrying too much weight. I am bringing the little man's sufferings in life!"
When the new cargo was added to the scale on the side of the good deeds, suddenly it outweighed the side of the sins... by far... |
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Sponsor | | slak | May 14, 2006 11:36am | I particularly liked the second story. Very moving. Thanks Chaïmke.
Rabbi Yehoshua said: "This is how a little child (tinoq) astonished me. One day, I was following a road and I saw a little kid, sitting at a crossroad. I asked him: "How could I get into the city?" He answered poiting the first way: "This one is short and long (zo qétsara véarouka). Pointing the second, he said: "This one is long and short". Thus, I took the short way. While I was approaching the city, I found myself wandering in the gardens, full of vegetables and fruits whithout knowing how to reach the city. I had to go back. I saw the kid again and asked him: "My son, didn't you say that this way was short?" He answered me:" Didn't I say to you that the short way was long? I kissed him on the head and I said: "How joyfull you are, Bené Israel, because you're all wise from kids to adults". |
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Sponsor | | chaimke | May 15, 2006 6:38am | This past Shabbat, while staying by some friends in Cedarhurst, Long Island, I was priviledged to attend the Se'udah Shlishit (the third Shabbat meal) in the presence of one of the oldest and greatest of today's Sages. Harav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat Torah Ore in Jerusalem, an older Rabbi (May he blessed with life until 120) who's been teaching generations of students for some 70+ years. He told over the following story of the saintly Chafetz Chaim, ZaTZa"L (May his Memory be a Blessing to us All), - who lived and walked in the path of Torah every minute of his life...
Here is the story:
Every evening, after Ma'ariv (the evening prayer), R. Yisro'el Me'ir HaKohen Kagan would lock himself in a room, sometimes for a half hour, sometimes longer. Occasionally one could hear R. Y. M. Kagan's voice rise, sometimes joyously, sometimes sadly.
Determined to find out what was going on, two of his disciples (Rav Yerucham Lebovitz and Rav Naftali Tropp - who themselves became renowned Roshei Yeshivot) hid themselves in a closet in the room, prior to the Chafetz Chaim entering. What they saw and heard filled them with awe and made them realize even more the greatness of their teacher...
R. Yisrael after a few seconds asked himself: "Yisro'el Meir, Yisro'el Me'ir, what did you do at such and such a minute?" After answering what he had done, he would repeat the question about the next minute and so on. After a while he was unable to account for 13 minutes of his day... with bitter tears, he cried out... "Yisro'el Meir, Yisro'el Me'ir, what did you do with those 13 minutes of your life?!?!?" |
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|  shifrah | Jun 29, 2006 4:01pm | I so like the story of the little chicks crying out and the Almighty caring even for them. A righteous person cares for the needs of his animals! I also like the underlying assumption that CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING. This is so contrary to our society, but it is so TRUE.
As a midwife I have consulted couples with infertility. I have seen health causes, but others where there was no cause known. Many have had their wombs opened by the Lord through prayer alone. The giver of life is ALWAYS involved in new life, and we are to spend it wisely, as the Rabbi in the above story was so accountable to do.
Please, more, more!! |
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Sponsor | | chaimke | Jun 30, 2006 9:01am | A well known yeshiva mechanech - educator, tells the following story that happened to him... This educator, who loved children, had none of his own for long, long time after marriage. Visits to many doctors could find no reason why the couple was barren... the fact remained, however, that they did not have any!
Once they gave up on doctors' treatments they thought that in keeping with a rich tradition they should turn to a Chassidic Rebbe, for his blessings... Though they were not chassidim, they decided to ask the well known Rav Yisroel Portugal - the current Sekulener Rebbe, who resides in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, for his blessing. The husband stood in line for many hours until his turn to see the sage came. With a voice wrought with emotion, he poured out his heart...
Instead of a blessing, he was stunned at the response in Yiddish: "Dort vy es iz do sinah, kumt nisht arain kayn broche! - In a place where there is hatred, no blessing will come in!" He couldn't understand the Rebbe's meaning, he hated nobody and couldn't think of anyone who would hate him! He decided to ask his wife, perhaps she could think of something... someone...
The wife understood the Sekulener rebbe's answer no better than the husband did. She also could think of no one whom she hated or could hate her. After staying awake all night racking their brains neither could come up with a reason to the Rebbe's puzzling words... Suddenly during the day, he remembered that while in mesivta - yeshiva high school there was another student for whom he had had a deep enmity.
He went back to see the Rebbe that evening and asked him if that was what his answer referred to. Rav Portugal told him that he did not know, only the people involved would know that...
The educator decided to ask for forgiveness. After some inquiries among mutual acquaintances he found out that the other individual now lived in the Chicago area. It was hard for him to call the other on the phone and apologize, he decided instead to travel to his home. One morning, very early, shortly before the other would leave for Schacharit - Morning Prayers, he knocked on the door. When his former classmate came out, he immediately recognized who had just knocked and said to him as he was about to slam the door: "Please, get out of my life!!!"
The New Yorker had put one foot in the door so as not to let it slam and pleaded: "Please let me explain something, it will only take a few minutes." The other agreed to hear him out. The yeshiva teacher, told him why he had travelled to Chicago, what weighed on his heart, and why he needed his forgiveness. As he finished his story, he noticed the other was visibly emotional as well. It seems that the one now living in Chicago, had no children either in his many years of marriage. They heartily forgave each other, especially when neither could even recall the original reason for their mutual dislike... Within the year of their meeting, both couples were blessed with children... |
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| | shifrah | Jun 30, 2006 3:16pm | WOW! Wonderful story, certainly with truth in it. To whom much is given much is required. Someone walking through life without the light of the Torah in their life is not held to the same standard as those who have the words of the Almighty and understand His ways. If we should help to pick our enemy's overburdened donkey up, simply because it is right to do so, and the Torah tells us so, it demonstrates His holiness, how much more so should we forgive our enemy. VERY HARD teaching, but good living.
Interesting, too about this story, is that usually infertility is "blamed" upon the wife. In this account, the husband's consciences were not clean, and so the blessing was withheld until it was made right.
I think the Almighty is always interested in how we treat others, not just in our prayers and offerings. He looks at the heart and thoughts and intents as well as our outward keeping of Mitzvahs... |
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Sponsor | | KwanYin | Jul 20, 2006 7:34pm | | Wonderful indeed! |
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| | shifrah | Jul 25, 2006 6:13pm | | I am ready for more stories at any time!! |
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