By Rabbi Elimelech Biderman
There was once a baal agalah (wagon driver) who served his town loyally for many years. But he was getting old and couldn’t keep up with the demand, so the townspeople decided it was time to train a new wagon driver to take his place.
A strong, young lad was chosen to become the new wagon driver. The old wagon driver was insulted. He worked for so many years as the town's wagon driver, and now a young man was taking his place. He said, "I will test the new wagon driver and see whether he is fitting for the job. If he passes the test, I will graciously hand the reigns over to him. But if he can’t answer my questions, he isn't fitting for the job and I will keep my post."
The old man asked the young man, "What will you do if your wagon gets stuck in the mud?"
The lad replied, "I will get off the wagon and push the wagon until it gets out of the mud."
"What will you do if that doesn’t help?"
"I will tell everyone to get off the wagon and help me push it out of the mud."
"And if that doesn’t work, what will you do then?"
"I will unload the packages to make it easier for the horses, and we will try again."
"And if that doesn't work, what will you do?"
The Lad is Stumped by the Questions
The lad thought for a moment and admitted that he didn't know.
"Then you are not worthy of the position."
The lad humbly accepted the rebuke but he still wanted to know the answer. "Please tell me; what should one do if the wagon is stuck in the mud and can't get out?"
The old wagon driver looked at him and replied, "An expert wagon driver stays out of the mud in the first place."
The Connection of Mud to Sins
The lesson is that after one falls into sins, it is hard to get out. Therefore, one should take every precaution not to fall in the first place. But if he did fall into the quagmire of sins, and even if he has accustomed himself to sin, he should keep trying until he succeeds to do teshuvah sheleimah.
Reprinted from the October 10, 2024 email of Torah Times Media.
