The Chofetz Chaim, Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, once stopped by a pharmacy and told the pharmacist how much he envied him. The man was taken aback, and asked what there was to envy?
The Chofetz Chaim explained he envied the pharmacist because of his many opportunities in the course of each day to sell medicines and save lives.
The pharmacist responded that he merely did it to make a living, not out of any other motives.
Hearing that, the Chofetz Chaim said to him, “When you come to work, you must have the intention that ‘I am coming to fulfill a Mitzvah of Chesed to others and saving lives.’ The profit-making side of it does not devalue the Mitzvah, as long as you have the proper intention!”
The pharmacist followed the Chofetz Chaim's advice, and over time, the pharmacist, who until then had been somewhat distant from his faith, became fully observant, and eventually, he rose to become the head of the Chesed organizations in his city! (Kuntres Chaim V'Chesed)
Just Be YOU!Rav Naftali Amsterdam was a Talmid of Rav Yisroel Salanter. He once came to his Rebbe and said, “Rebbi, if I had the head of the Shaagas Aryeh, and if I had the Neshamah of the author of the Yesod V’Shoresh Ha’Avodah and if I had your good Middos, then I could truly be a Servant of Hashem.”
Rav Yisroel Salanter responded to him, “Naftali, with your head, and with your heart, and with your good personality traits, you can be Naftali Amsterdam! That is all you have to be. You do not need to be the Shaagas Aryeh, or Rav Yisroel Salanter, or anybody else. Just be YOU, and that is how you will serve Hashem!”
Honoring the Torah Itself!Rav Aharon Kotler, zt”l, the Rosh Yeshivah of Lakewood, was preparing to travel to Eretz Yisroel for a visit. His Talmidim made preparations to accompany him and escort him to the airport, but when Rav Aharon found out about their plans, he told them that he preferred they remain in the Yeshivah and continue their learning.
The Talmidim were in a quandary about what to do because they loved their Rebbe and wished to see him off, but they did not want to upset him by not following his wishes. They decided to ask Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, for advice. Rav Moshe considered the question and answered, “Accompany the Rosh Yeshivah to the airport. Honoring Rav Aharon is like honoring the Torah itself!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Shoftim 5784 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
