Story Tour

So many people become lost in their search to serve the holy One, blessed be He. The service in and of itself is fairly uncomplicated. Simply put, “Serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing  mind.”  (I Chronicles 28:9)

The Innkeeper’s Reward 

An officer traveled at the head of a large caravan in order to perform an important task that the king had assigned him. The sun set in the middle of their trip, and spotting an inn along­side the road, they headed directly towards it. 

The innkeeper was delighted to merit the honor to host the king’s officer. He therefore tried his utmost to make his esteemed guests’ stay a pleasant one. In their honor, he arranged a table replete with various delicacies, and when they had eaten their fill, he prepared comfortable beds that would provide them with a good night’s sleep. 

Upon rising in the morning, the officer asked the innkeeper how much he owed him for their stay, and the innkeeper requested a substantial sum of money. 

The officer paid the full amount and thanked the innkeeper. He then took his place at the head of the caravan and continued his journey, quickly forgetting all about the inn and the innkeeper. 

Several days later, he arrived at another inn, and this time as ^-…^-ell, was showered with exceptional hospitality as the innkeeper went well beyond the call of duty. Wanting to please his guests, the innkeeper served them delicious food and beverages, and provided them with comfortable sleeping arrangements as well.

The next day, the officer approached the innkeeper and requested to pay for his stay. The innkeeper, however, would not hear of it. 

“Absolutely not!” he said to the officer. “It is both a pleasure and an honor that a great individual such as yourself would choose to lodge at my inn! The honor you have accorded me will be my full compensation!” 

Upon hearing the innkeeper’s heartfelt words, the officer was filled with tremendous affection for the simple man. He therefore commanded one of his servants to go and bring a particularly heavy chest from one of the wagons. Opening the chest, he removed mag­nificent jewelry and gems and presented them to the innkeeper. 

“Here you go, my dear sir,” said the officer. “This is a small por­tion of the reward that you shall receive for the loyalty that you have shown me. In addition, if you ever need anything from the king, do not hesitate to turn to me!”

The officer went on his way but never forgot the innkeeper and his kindliness.

There are two types of people who serve Hashem.

There are those who serve Hashem in the hope of receiving a re­ward. Hashem certainly looks upon his Divine service favorably, but in the end he only receives his due reward.

But there are others who serve Hashem merely for the joy of serving King of All Kings. His reward is many times greater and brings Hashem much enjoyment. 

This is what we are taught in Pirke Avos (Ethics of the Fathers) 1:3: “Be not as servants who serve the master for the sake of receiving [even a token) of reward, but rather, be like servants who serve the master not for the sake of receiving a reward”

Tags: Faith, Prayer, Rabbi's thoughts and teaching, Stories by Rabbi
2 Comments »

This past Summer at Philmont, a Scout became homesick on the trail. This is not an unusual circumstance, but in this case the Scout was from the Czech Republic. He had become quiet and withdrawn, moody and a bit cranky. Help was indeed provided by the Holy One, blessed be He in the way of a shy, quiet Veronika. 

Some may remember her from the Handicrafts Staff. She helped by writing a letter to the trekker in her mother tongue, Czech. She is indeed special and she reminded me of a strange twist in Czech and Jewish folklore. 

It is believed that the Altneushul  synagogue in the city of Prague was built of the stones of the Temple. When the Children of Israel dispersed through the Roman Empire after the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, they took some of the stones of the Temple with them because of their strong faith and their great bitterness and aching heart, and in order to fulfill the verse: “For Your servants have desired her stones” (Ps. 102:15). 

When they came to the city of Prague, they built a synagogue there, and in it they also set some of the stones of the Temple.

The synagogue’s real name is in Hebrew: The Al-Tnay Synagogue. Al tnay means in Hebrew “on condition”. The tradition says that the synagogue was built with stones from the King Solomon’s Temple ruins in Jerusalem and that when the time will come and the Temple will be rebuilt, this synagogue will be dismantled and its stones will rebuild the Temple; this is “the condition”. The people who did not understood Hebrew meant that “al tnay” are the Yiddish words “alt neu” = old-new”. 

Let us all “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6) and may Jerusalem be “built again as His house for all the ages” (Tobit 13:15)

Tags: Philmont, Rabbi's thoughts and teaching by Rabbi
No Comments »

At Philmont and other places where Jewish Scouts come together a special connection takes place as Scouts from across the Jewish spectrum share in prayer, observance, food, and camaraderie. The question invariably is raised how can Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jewish people come together and have fun and develop special friendships. How can we get past the, sometimes insurmountable, differences and share in our long and holy traditions. 

So many questions are asked and the answers are not so difficult as one listens to those around. In an old story, one remembers… 

In a certain city lived a carpenter who was well-known for his fine craftsmanship. Merchants, noblemen and other wealthy people visited him regularly, asking him to build fine furniture for them. The carpenter never disappointed anyone. Time and time again, he consistently created beautiful cabinets and graceful bookcases that were amazing to look at. His fame as a craftsman spread throughout the land, until word of his skills reached the king. 

The king had the carpenter summoned and old him that from then on he would be employed in the king’s palace. He would be personally responsible for building furniture for the royal family. The king invited him to live in special quarters, and assured the carpenter that he would provide for both him and his fam­ily. In addition, he would pay the carpenter handsomely, guaranteeing him a generous monthly salary. 

Excited, the carpenter packed up his tools, family and belongings and moved into his new home in the king’s palace. 

Some time afterwards, the carpenter became sick and lost his eyesight, leaving him unable to work. He went to many doctors and they gave him all kinds of medicines. The treatments slowly took effect, but after spending so much money to the doctors, he was in time left penniless. 

The carpenter needed more medication but was unable to pay for them, his wife suggested that he sell his tools, in order to buy the medicines that he needed. 

“Absolutely not!” shouted the carpenter. “I may not presently be able to work, but the king, nonetheless, acts kindly towards me and dis­plays understanding for my situation, as he realizes that I will soon be able to work again. However, if I sell my tools, it is a sign that I am no longer a carpenter.., What will I do then?” 

The same thing applies to the Jewish people. While we may no longer serve Hashem in the ways that the earlier genera­tions did, we nevertheless, trust in Him with all our hearts – for the Name of Hashem is within each of us, and we remain servants of the King of all Kings!

Tags: Faith, Philmont, Rabbi's thoughts and teaching, Stories by Rabbi
No Comments »

A holy rabbi once taught that unless we believe the holy One ,blessed be He renews creation every day, our prayers grow habitual and tedious. Sometimes we need to step back and reflect if our prayer is from the heart or is it from memory, by rote.  

There was once a shepherd and did not know how to pray. Yet every day he said: “L-rd of the Universe! You know full well that if You have beasts to herd and were to give them to me I would tend them without charge though everybody pays me; for I love You.”. 

On one occasion a learned rabbi passed that way and found the shepherd praying. “Fool,” said he, “do not pray like that!” “And how should I pray?” asked the shepherd. At which point the learned man taught him the order of the blessings, and the ^“Hear, O Israel” prayer and the other prayers, in order that he should no longer say what he had been familiar to say. But after the rabbi went away, the shepherd forgot all that he had been taught and could not recite it. He was also afraid to say what he had formerly said, because the learned man had warned him not to. 

Now in a dream at night the rabbi heard a voice that said to him: “If you do not tell him to say what he was accustomed to say before you met him, and if you do not go there, then know what evil is awaiting you. For you have robbed Me of one of those who is assured of the World to Come!” The rabbi went at once and told the man. 

Now here there was neither knowledge of the Torah nor good deeds, merely one who thought to be good. The Holy One, blessed be He regarded this as a great thing, for the Merciful One always seeks the heart.

Sefer Chasidim

Tags: Prayer, Rabbi's thoughts and teaching, Stories by Rabbi
No Comments »

There was a time when little changed: People grew up in the same place as their parents, knew the same people their whole lives, did the same work, ate the same food, and heard the same languages as their parents and grandparents. Today we are constantly moving around, meeting new people, hearing new philosophies and ideas, and meeting challenges caused by the changing world around us. 

New ideas and new philosophies have flooded our ancient faith. In this confusing time, is there a bottom line? 

Once upon a time a Roman came to the School of Rabbi Shammai and said to him, “I should like to become Jewish, can you will teach me the whole of the Law while I am standing on one leg?” When he heard this, Rabbi Shammai took a measuring rod used by builders and drove him away with it. 

The Roman left the School of Rabbi Shammai and went to the School of Rabbi Hillel, and asked him whether he would accept him into the Jewish community, and whether he would teach him the whole Torah while he was standing on one leg. Rabbi Hillel accepted him and said, “Yes, I will teach you the whole Torah while you are standing on one leg.”

Then he said to the Roman, “Keep this command­ment, ‘Do not do to your neighbor what you would not like to have done to yourself.’ This is the basic principle of the law. All the rest is a commentary upon it. Now go and study it.” In this way Hillel taught him the whole Torah while he was standing on one leg.

Shabbos 31a 

We are all bound by the our relationships: to G-d, to other human beings, and to all that G-d has created. All those relationships are touched by the changes in the world. But in each generation, the ancient and blessed conversation-the dialogue that is Judaism-continues.

Tags: Faith, Rabbi's thoughts and teaching, Stories by Rabbi
No Comments »