By Rabbi Avrum Mordche Malach
Rav Uri of Strelisk, a renowned tzaddik, was known for his intense and passionate davening, which often lasted for hours. His prayers were so powerful and filled with so much emotion that even the non-Jewish farmers in the surrounding areas could hear his voice echoing through the fields.
The farmers, familiar with his routine, would sometimes remark to one another that it was getting late because they could hear the Jewish Rabbi already reciting, "Yachid Chai Ha’Olamim" toward the end of the morning prayers. Remarkably, they even knew how to quote this sacred phrase.
One day, while R’ Uri was davening with his usual fervor, the governor of the city happened to visit the shul. He was struck by the sight of the Rabbi's passionate prayers and the intensity with which he prayed. After observing for a while, the governor turned to those around him and remarked, "If after such a prayer your Messiah has not come, he is never going to come."
Later, when the prayers were finished, one of the Chassidim approached R’ Uri and informed him of the governor's comment. Rabbi Uri responded with a smile and shared the following parable:
The King Walking in the Forest
Once, there was a king who went for a walk in the forest. During his stroll, he came across an enormous tree, the thickest he had ever seen. The king commanded his servants to cut it down, but in those days, without modern machinery, removing such a tree was no easy task. The method involved tying the tree with thick ropes, attaching the other ends to sturdy poles, and then shaking the tree repeatedly. Over time, this would weaken the tree until it eventually fell.
However, this particular tree was so immense that no amount of shaking seemed to work. For generations, people tried to bring the tree down, but despite their best efforts, it remained standing.
Years later, a group of teenagers came across the tree during a walk in the forest. They saw the ropes still tied to it and decided to give it a try. To everyone's amazement, after just a few shakes, the mighty tree finally toppled. The entire city was astounded that two young boys had succeeded where so many before them had failed.
An Accumulation of Many Generations’ Efforts
An elderly man, witnessing the event, remarked, "When I was a young boy, my father told me that his father had tried to take down this tree and that people had been working on it for generations. But it wasn't these boys who brought it down—it was the accumulation of all the efforts over the years. All it took in the end was one final shake."
R’ Uri concluded, "So too with the coming of Moshiach. So many Jews throughout the generations— Tanaim, Amoraim, Rishonim, Acharonim—have all been shaking the tree, so to speak, with their prayers and good deeds. In the end, when Moshiach finally comes, it won't be because of one grand act, but because of all the small, persistent efforts that have built up over time. We are now in the days after Tisha B'av, in the month of comfort. We must remember that even the smallest good deed, every small act of restraint or kindness, brings Moshiach closer. The final redemption is almost here. We just need a few more small efforts, and with Hashem's help, we will see the complete redemption soon.
Reprinted from the Parshat Re’eh 5784 edition of the Torahanytimes Newsletter.
