Reminiscing about his 1992 visit to Israel, Zelig recalls an experience in a Jerusalem frozen yogurt shop:

“This was a unique treat for me, because at that time it wasn’t easy to buy kosher frozen yogurt in New York.

“First you could choose between a chocolate or vanilla base. Then you could add the flavors of your choice, all featured in the display. The variety ranged from fresh strawberries and peaches, to crunchy wafers and nuts. Not knowing when I would be offered this luxury again, I decided to indulge…

“‘I’ll have strawberries,’ I told the cashier excitedly, ‘and pineapple; wafers, and white chocolate, and some of this too…’ I ordered anything I thought would make the yogurt taste even more delicious.

“The cashier may not have cared, or she thought I was a spoiled American. In any case, she obediently fulfilled my requests.

“But I was disappointed. It did not taste like any of the flavors I had chosen… None of them were distinct…”

Comment:

Too much of something, even something good, may not be good. It’s all about balance.

For example, there are two ways to design a beautiful bouquet of flowers: You can combine a variety of brightly-colored flowers, but the effect may be “too much;” none of the colors will be distinct. Or, you can select several specific colors, and each color will shine for its true worth.

Rabbi Levi Wineberg, head of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva in South Africa, puts it quite well: “If you see someone with more than two or three books open in front of him, he probably isn’t learning anything.”

“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”
—Old Yiddish saying