The renowned Saraf, Rav Uri of Strelisk, was known for his intense and passionate davening, which often lasted for hours. His davening was so powerful and with so much emotion that even the non-Jewish farmers in the surrounding areas heard his voice echoing through the fields. They were familiar with his routine and would sometimes remark to one another that it was getting late because they could hear the Jewish rabbi already reciting, “Yachid Chei Ha’Olamim.” Remarkably, they even knew how to quote this sacred phrase.
One day, while Rav Uri was davening, the governor of the city came to visit the shul. He was struck by the rabbi’s passionate prayers and the intensity with which he davened. 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 he finished davening, one of the Chassidim approached Rav Uri and informed him of the governor’s comment. Rav Uri responded with a smile and shared the following mashal:
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 removing such a tree was no easy task. The method involved tying thick ropes around the tree, attaching the other ends to sturdy poles, and then shaking the tree repeatedly. Over time, this procedure would weaken the tree until it eventually fell. However, this tree was so immense that no amount of shaking seemed to work.
For many generations, people tried to bring the tree down, but despite their best efforts, it remained steadfast in its place. 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 shake it. With just a few shakes, the mighty tree toppled.
The entire city was astounded how young boys had succeeded where so many before them had failed. But one elderly man, who’d witnessed the event, wasn’t as amazed. “When I was a young boy, my father told me that his father had also tried to take down that tree. People have been working on it for generations. 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 Yidden throughout the generations — Tannaim, Amoraim, Rishonim, Acharonim — have all been shaking the tree, so to speak, with their davening and learning. Yet, when Moshiach comes, it won’t be because of one grand act but because of all the small, persistent efforts that are built up.”
We must remember that even the smallest good deed, and 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 geula soon. (Reprinted from the TorahAnytime newsletter)
