From time to time, the Me’ohr Einayim would leave his study, where he learned throughout the day, and would stroll through his house and the shul area, checking on everyone's wellbeing.
On one such day, while strolling through the hallways, he noticed how Yochentch’e, his little grandson, had gone missing. Word spread around the house about the child having gone missing in middle of the day, but the Me’ohr Einayim ensured everyone that he was OK and would return shortly with no reason to worry. He was fine. And so it was. Shortly after, Yochentch’e returned.
Right upon his return, he was sent into his grandfather’s room, saying that he was waiting for him. Without delay, Yochentch’e went right into his grandfather study, where he greeted him happily. While rubbing his cheeks, the Me’ohr Einayim questioned him where he was, and what the delay was about.
Innocently, the child went on to explain what had happened:
“I overheard how people were discussing how Eliyahu Hanavi was strumming the streets and was currently in the marketplace. Hearing this, I was convinced that I definitely must go and pay him a visit. Who wouldn’t want to see him? A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — I mustn’t delay. With excitement in my feet, I put on my shoes and made way to the marketplace.”
“After all that, did you end up finding him there?” questioned the grandfather.
“No,” replied the grandson, with great disappointment in his voice.
“So why did you delay so much in the marketplace? Once you hadn’t seen him, you should’ve returned right away. What took all this time?”
“I learned a reflective message in avodas Hashem. That took all this while.”
Wondering what a young child can learn from a marketplace, the grandfather asked him, “What did you learn there? Are there greater teachers than what you have here?”
“I’ll explain,” replied the child. “I was observing the horse market. The merchants bring many horses to display for the buyers. There is a large variety of horses. There are some stubborn horses, while there are flexible horses. The stubborn ones don’t listen so quick, while the easygoing ones are much quicker to listen. The stubborn ones endure many trials until they find a buyer; all that time, he endures hits and slashes from the prospective buyers, while the others are spared all that.
“What I learned was that those that are easygoing are the ones that people are looking to purchase, while the others are not purchased so quickly. Nobody wants horses that won’t obey instruction. Buyers are looking for the ones that will follow rules and listen to instruction.”
Puzzled at this answer, the grandfather asked the grandson how this served as a chizuk in avodas Hashem? What does this have to do with serving Hashem?
The grandson explained that the lesson he took from the horses was that those who listen to their boss are the ones that are liked, whereas the ones that don’t obey are the disliked.
The same thing, continued the grandson, applies to avodas Hashem. Those who follow Hashem are the ones that’ll be sought after and will be treasured well. It’s those who don’t listen to their master, Hashem, who are rejected and are not wanted. (Tiv HaMasios, B’haaloscha, p. 86)
