Rav Volender, the Rov of the Jerusalem Prison, walked out of the prison entrance to see Tzadok “Hatzadik” walking towards him.
“Kavod Harav!” said Tzadok happily. “I have something very important to tell you!”
“Good morning, Tzadok,” Rav Volender said. “How nice to see you on this side of the prison fence. But what happened to your hat? It looks more lumpy than usual.”
“Ah, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about!” Tzadok said.
“You came to talk to me about your hat?” asked Rav Volender, confused.
“Yes!” exclaimed Tzadok excitedly. “Do you want to see a magic trick?”
“Um, I really have to get going,” answered Rav Volender.
“It will only take a second,” insisted Tzadok, carefully removing his hat. “Look!”
With a flourish of his hand, Tzadok reached into his hat and pulled out a very frightened-looking rabbit.
“Tada!” he said.
“Tzadok, I really must get going,” Rav Volender repeated.
“But Rebbe! I need to tell you all about my idea to come and do magic tricks to cheer up the prisoners!”
“That sounds like a nice idea, but we’ll have to discuss it a different time. I have some very important things I need to take care of today.”
“Oooh, important things are very important!” Tzadok said. “I would love to help you!”
Rav Volender looked at Tzadok for a moment before responding.
“You would like to help me?” he asked.
“Oh yes, Rebbe. I love doing important things!”
“Very well, Tzadok. Come with me.”
The two men headed down the street towards a makolet. They walked inside and Rav Volender bought a package of baby diapers, eggs, bread, and a few other items. Tzadok helped carry the bags as they then went to Rav Volender’s house and put the groceries away.
“Come, Tzadok, we’re going to be late,” Rav Volender said, as they headed back outside again.
Tzadok was getting more and more excited. What could be the important things that they were going to do?
A few minutes later they arrived at the post office. Rav Volender mailed a few letters, and off they went again.
The hours of the day passed, as Rav Volender learned with his chavrusa and performed various errands, but Tzadok was still waiting for the “very important things” Rav Volender had mentioned. Maybe he had a meeting with some high-level government officials soon?
After stopping at the bank, picking up Rav Volender’s son from gan, and picking up some prescriptions at the pharmacy, they hurried back to shul to daven Mincha.
After davening, Rav Volender sat down and learned with another chavrusa for an hour. When they left the shul, Tzadok finally said to Rav Volender: “Rebbe, when are we going to get to the exciting stuff?”
“What do you mean?” asked Rav Volender.
“You said we were going to do very important things. But all we’ve done is gone shopping, visited the bank, picked up your son, and other every-day activities. When are we going to get to what you said was so important?”
“I don’t understand,” Rav Volender said. “What we did today wasn’t important?”
“Well,” Tzadok stammered. “Of course it’s important to learn Torah, buy food and take your son home from nursery, but I was looking for action! I want to do exciting things - important things that make a difference!”
“Tzadok,” said Rav Volender. “Did you count sefirah last night?”
“Of course I did,” Tzadok said proudly. “I counted the whole sefirah!”
“The whole sefirah?” asked Rav Volender, alarmed.
“Yes! I always have trouble remembering which day it is so I count every day just in case.”
“Oy, Tzadok, you’re not supposed to do that. You should get a sefirah calendar. Or better yet, daven Maariv in shul so you hear what everyone else is counting.”
“Oh,” Tzadok said. “Maybe I’ll do that.”
“But anyway Tzadok, what are we counting? Sefiras Ha’omer is an important reminder that we need to take advantage of every day that Hashem gives us. Every day that goes by is filled with opportunities. Even if you don’t have something super exciting to do, as Yidden, every action we take is important - if we do them properly.”
“Properly?” asked Tzadok.
“Yes! A person can go to the post office or the bank and it can be a complete waste! But a Yid knows that every action he does is serving Hashem. We need to remember to think that with each thing we do, even the mundane things, we are serving Hakadosh Boruch Hu. And if a Yid does that, then there are no mundane things. Everything is important!”
“So you mean I shouldn’t do magic tricks for the prisoners?” asked Tzadok, reaching under his hat to pet his rabbit.
“Not at all,” said Rav Volender. “Cheering up sad Yidden can also be very important. But it’s not just the exciting things that are important. Every second of our life is an important opportunity to become great!”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos!
Let’s review:
- What did Tzadok think “important” meant?
- What makes every-day tasks so important?
