A Rabbi was once visiting a city and stayed in the house of a wealthy man.
The man complained to his esteemed guest that he spent so much time educating his children, but sadly his older son had strayed from the right path and had lost all sensitivity to Torah and Mitzvos.
The Rabbi listened but never replied. He had no clue why.
Friday night the Rabbi joined his host for Shabbos dinner. After Kiddush everyone went to wash their hands before the meal. The Rabbi noticed that the host's young son didn't wash his hands properly, only poured a little bit of water on his hands barely making them wet and then rattled off a blessing full of mistakes. The Rabbi carefully tried to explain to the child how one washes one's hands properly and make a correct blessing.
The host overheard, turned to the guest and said, "Rabbi, please leave him, he's only young. When he grows up he'll learn."
The Rabbi shrugged his shoulders and washed. During the meal, the child was bored and got up to play. On his way the tablecloth got caught on his clothing. As he walked he pulled the tablecloth and some plates smashed.
The father stood up and started screaming at the boy, "how many times have I told you to sit properly at the table. What kind of behavior is this? Why don't you watch what you do and look where you walk, why do you have eyes?"
The boy was shaking with fear. The Rabbi saw, listened but remained quiet. He had what to say, he just wanted to whisper to the father, "please leave him, he's only young. When he grows up he'll learn." But he's only a guest and he was smart enough to remain silent.
But he now had an answer to his host's question why his older son had strayed off track. The older boy understood what was important to his father and what wasn't, he understood his father's priorities. The difference between doing a Mitzva correctly and a broken plate.
The Priorities of Moshe Rabbeinu
Moshe Rabbeinu was chosen by Hashem to lead the Jewish Nation, to redeem them from Egypt, to receive and teach the Torah. Why was he chosen? The secret lies in this week's Parsha. What was Moshe's priorities? What was important to him? What got him upset?
A Jew being beaten by an Egyptian, couldn't be left to suffer. Two Jews fighting together couldn't just be ignored. When the shepherds were bothering the daughters of Yisro trying to get water, he didn't just stand by and watch.
'Tell me what really bothers you, gets you angry and upset, and I will tell you who you are!'
And doesn't it apply to all of us? Let's test ourselves. It won't take even a minute. What were the last three things that really upset us? For missing a Mitzva or a Shiur? For daydreaming during prayers? For speaking Lashon Hara and causing another person anguish? Or for things completely different.....
