Leave Your World Behind

Who is pious? The person that davens all the time, and is deaf to his surroundings? Or is it the person, that while attuned to H' is also part of the social fabric in the society in which he/she lives? Jewish tradition tells us that the second type of person is doing the correct thing by addressing a need, and acting on that need. H' sees that as beneficial as it is prayer. Prayer is always important but so are human needs and if somebody can help should help. Pious prayer is important but not enough! Reply

love the story, especially the removing of the Prayer shawl 🙏 although the doing can be dressed in loving 🤲 attentions, as Dürkheim used to call it: “Andacht”, “Pious” attention

knew similar story of a rabbi that entered a room where his son was focussed on studying TORAH while in same room the baby was crying, and the father said: take first care of your crying baby … as in first things first? also reminds of wu wei… doing by non doing… so TY for this special story … will ponder on why the removing of the shawl moves me Reply

Beautiful! What a kiddush Hashem! Reply

I have heard of a similar story before about an unspecified Rabbi in a slightly different setting. It is not original. Reply

The understanding of another person’s pain, no matter how severe or how little that pain may be cannot begin to be felt until we actually put ourselves in their place. This can be meant by removing our shoes and walking down their path or removing our garments and slipping into their clothes. We can sit all day and night as we hold them, clasp their hands in ours, or just convey to them how much we understand their grief or pain. But we really don’t understand until we reach way down within ourselves and extract a divine intervention that allows us to actually become a part of them where we begin to almost take their place. Whether it’s seeing ourselves lying on that same bed now or at sometime in our own life or even reaching deep down into our own hearts and
reliving the same feelings we once experienced. Reply

Not only he removed his talit but upon entering the house he chopped wood and Lit a fire and boiled soup on Yom Kippur the holiest fast day. That shows a person with a true soul.ביקור חולים comes first. Reply

Good article, we do have to leave our world to help people like the Rabbi. Very true! Reply

In a similar manner, if a husband is praying and his wife calls for some help with something, even the dishes, he must excuse himself to Hashem and go help her. An able bodied man who sends his wife out to beg for coins so he can pray all day, will not have his prayers heard, and belongs in the pit with Korach. Reply

Move In A New Direction Our nature works with the egoistic force. We are energized to profit our self.

All our prayers begin by praising the greatness of G_d. His greatness is His opposite force - to give,feel and love another. He waits for us recognize our selfish intentions and to request that He will give us this higher force. It is said that he who comes to be purified is aided.

The Rebbe's prayer was answered:
The Rebbe was awarded the senses to feel our hidden connections to everybody that lives within us. The Rebbe was also empowered by G_d's force to respond to another's needs.

The Rebbe moved in the direction of G_dliness.
This is the goal we must all move towards. Reply

same idea A similar story told to me a few years back went as follows :
A Rebbe was on his way to shul for Kol Nidre. Some of his congregation were following behind. The Rebbe walked past the shul. Surprised, some of the congregation followed. The Rebbe stopped at the home of a woman who was running a high fever. He lit a fire and boiled some water for her. By this time the congregants had run back to shul. The Rebbe arrived a bit later.

I like these stories because they show a dialed in perspective. Anybody can make it to shul on time for Kol Nidre. There are extraordinary times and extraordinary people who have a higher understanding. Not different. Higher. These stories sound like they have the same source.

Anyhow, whatever the true story was, the ending is exquisite. Reply

A Story I wonder ... was the Rabbi leaving the ecstasy of prayer, when he left the synagogue - or was he moving in harmony with it. Isn't the cry of the newborn baby the most perfect prayer? Look how quickly it was answered. Reply

Nice Rabbi Zalman This was a wonderful story, and illustrates how one should leave the study hall and your prayers to teach the ignorant, and help them with their daily travails. Reply

Chabad Credo Thank you for reminding me of Chabad credo. Reply

Chop Wood...Start a Fire The previous comment reminds me of the story of the Akeida. Avraham was willing to sacrifice his own for the sake of G-d. In the end however, Hashem stopped Avraham and made a great nation from Isaac. Reply

This is a perfect example of bikur cholim. bh
This story is a perfect example of not only bikur cholim, but also of how a Jew is supposed to behave. The rabbi left his prayers to CHOP WOOD and START A FIRE on the holiest day of the year. These two melachas are ordinarily forbidden on this or on any Yom Tov, but to save a life they are most certainly permitted, and the rabbi was obviously saving the life of that poor woman and her newborn.
He knew that helping this woman and her baby took precedence over davening. He had his priorities in order.
May we all merit to live by his example. Reply