“Yitzchok,” Rebbe Caplan said. “I actually remember that Toras Avigdor booklet. You didn’t read the whole thing, did you?”
“Well, no,” Yitzy explained. “As soon as I read about how we have to make the world a better place I ran to get a clipboard and I made this chart of all of the Mitzvos.”
Our Mission is to Constantly Improve Ourselves
“Well, if you would have been a bit more patient you would have seen what Rabbi Miller said next. He says that the most important thing we can improve in this world is ourselves!”
“But I already know all of the 613 mitzvos by heart,” Yitzy replied.
“That’s gevaldig!” Rebbe Caplan said warmly. “But that doesn’t mean that you’re done working on yourself. Self-improvement is a lifetime avodah. It’s a job that never ends.”
“So, the only thing I’ll ever get to improve in this world is myself?” Yitzy asked, somewhat disappointed.
“Of course not!” Rebbe Caplan answered. “You will find that there will be many times in your life where you can help improve things - or even other people who are willing to listen to you. But you must remember that first and foremost, YOU are the most important thing that you have to work on. That’s why we have mussar seforim like Chovos Halevavos and Mesillas Yesharim. These teach us how to make ourselves into better people, which in turn makes the world a better place.”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos!
Takeaway:
Hashem created us “to do”, to accomplish change within ourselves by becoming better people.
Reprinted from the Parshas Bereishis 5784 email of Toras Avigdor Junior.
