Power and wealth take wings and fly away.These and cleverness are gifts of Heaven, therefore let no one glory in their possession,

Tosafos

A rich man suffered terribly as he could not sleep. Night after night, he lay awake in bed as worries gnawed at his heart and did not permit him to relax.

What worried him so?

The rich man was a merchant who sold diamonds and other precious gems. Naturally, he stored a massive amount of gems and cash in his home.

“Indeed,” thought the rich man to himself, “my money and gems are hidden inside a large and sturdy safe; but what will be if a thief enters my home and terrorizes me into opening the safe? What will I do then?”

This thought disturbed him greatly, and he tossed and turned, unable to sleep night after night.

One night, the rich man leaped from his bed in a state of joy, thinking that he had resolved his problem.

He hired an expert safe maker, who constructed a wall within the safe. Behind the wall, the rich man hid most of his wealth, leaving only a small amount of cash and inexpensive gems in the actual safe.

“If a thief will come now, G-d forbid,” thought the rich man, “he will find only a little money, and the rest will be safely hidden away”

From then on, the rich man slept soundly.

When it comes to one’s Divine service, a person must act similarly. For if an individual serves his Creator visibly and publicly, he is likely to grow proud and conceited or even incur an “evil eye.” The majority of a person’s Divine service should therefore he performed privately, and only a minute amount should he revealed to the public.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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