ALL PRISONERS REPORT TO YOUR CELLS FOR INSPECTION
“Oy,” said Tzadok “Hatzadik” to his friend Yuval. “I hope they don’t take away my pet spider. He’s a direct descendant of the spider who saved Dovid Hamelech.”
“How do you know that?” asked Yuval as they walked towards the cell block.
“Oh it’s easy,” said Tzadok. “I told him to tell me if he is not a descendant of that spider and he said nothing.”
A guard approached Tzadok and Yuval.
“Tzadok,” the guard said. “The warden would like to meet with you.”
“But I didn’t do it!” Tzadok said.
“Didn’t do what?” asked the guard suspiciously.
“Uh... the thing that he thinks I did,” Tzadok answered nervously.
“Just come with me, Tzadok.”
Tzadok followed the guard to a large office, where the warden was sitting with Rav Volender, the prison rov.
“Tzadok,” the warden began. “I’ve been reviewing your prison record. You are almost five months into your twelve-month sentence. However, your behavior in the prison, although strange, did not violate any prison rules. Granted, things like dancing with a stray cat and putting a massive fake mezuzah on your cell door are now against the rules, but these are rules that we would have never even considered putting into place had you not done these things.”
Tzadok looked up hopefully.
“So with that being said, the judge in your case has approved our recommendation to release you early for good behavior.”
Tzadok’s face broke out in a smile as he turned to Rav Volender.
“Just one thing, Tzadok.”
Tzadok looked at the warden.
“You must learn with Rav Volender every day. It is only on this condition that we are releasing you early.”
“Kavod Harav! My segulot worked!”
“No Tzadok,” said Rav Volender. “Your tefillos worked. You’ve been davening with a minyan three times a day, you’ve been coming to my shiurim regularly, and you have been acting like a good Yid. It’s Hashem you have to thank, not your ‘segulos’.”
After profusely thanking Hashem and the warden, Tzadok changed out of his prison uniform and into his own clothes, and headed to the prison exit, accompanied by Rav Volender and the guard.
“Good bye rebbe!” Tzadok said as he hurried out the door to freedom.
Thirty seconds later, Tzadok ran back to the prison.
“Let me in, let me in!” he shouted at the guard.
Rav Volender, who had just started walking away, turned back to Tzadok.
“Is everything okay, Tzaddok?” he asked.
“No, rebbe. I can’t be out there! I walked outside and saw two Yidden sitting without kipot on their heads, eating at a restaurant without a hechsher and they didn’t even make a brocha! It’s terrible! I can’t be out there with people who don’t listen to Hakadosh Baruch Hu! What is this world coming to?”
“Tzadok,” said Rav Volender, pulling out a small Chumash from his pocket. Take a look at this posuk. It says here that if you go out to war against your enemy and you see horses, chariots, and a big strong army, you should not fear them because Hashem is with you.
Now, this doesn’t just apply to physical war. We are constantly in a war for Torah and mitzvos. And in this war, it often feels that the enemies of Hashem, those who do not listen to him, outnumber us. But the Torah is telling us not to let that get us down. We will win this war - we are winning this war! Walk a few blocks further and go to Meah Shearim - there you will see tremendous amounts of tzadikim and bnei Torah. All over the world there are Yidden davening, learning, and doing mitzvos. Hashem is with us! And soon we will see complete victory and the entire world will follow in the ways of Hashem.
“Enjoy your freedom, Tzadok - but remember one thing. הָרֹו ַּ̇ב ̃≈סֹעו∆ׁ̆ יּמ ‡ָּל∆‡ יןƒרֹחו ן∆ּב ין≈‡ - the only truly free person is someone who is constantly learning Torah and living in the ways of the Torah. I’ll see you for our learning session tomorrow. Bye, Tzadok!”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos
Let’s Review
- What is the war that we are currently fighting?
- Why shouldn’t we feel like we’re losing when we see people around us not following the ways of the Torah ל"ר.
