Excerpt from a Gathering of Inspiration in Honor of the Absorption of French Immigrants
This World Takes Its Toll
I was once driving with my escort, R’ Moshe Mirali, on a highway in New Jersey. After driving a few kilometers, the traffic suddenly backed up. We were surprised at this and, rolling down the windows to figure out the source of the traffic jam, our ears were assaulted by shouts. A driver was short ten cents of the toll fare and was therefore being detained.
I asked R’ Moshe to go over to this driver and offer him ten cents so we could continue on our way. And I realized this incident came my way to teach me a lesson.
Our lives in this world are like a ride along a highway, making our way to our Final Destination, the World to Come. “The days of our years among them are seventy years, and if with might, eighty years” (Tehillim 90:10). When the day will come and we reach the end of our journey, we will have to pay the price with our Torah and mitzvot. And woe to the one who is short of even one cent!
