For a long while I’ve had a set time to learn mishnayos every day after Maariv. It’s not much, and it’s not too hard, but it is set in stone. Even if I’m in a rush, I stay behind a bit in order to learn. If someone calls me soon after Maariv, my phone is still unavailable.
Last night after Maariv I was not able to sit down for my regular learning session. Someone started speaking to me, then another person, then a third person wanted to find out about some small matter. The time passed, and I had no choice but to hurry on home.
At home, everyone was waiting for a good word, a smile. It was growing late, and I felt the exhaustion spreading and overtaking me. I prepared to go to sleep and told myself, “That’s how it goes. Sometimes it happens that a person has no strength. Sometimes you’re really tired and you must go to sleep. So, I learn every day and today I didn’t learn. It’s not so terrible.”
But a few minutes later I said to myself, “A kvius is a kvius! How can you give up your kvius for some passing lethargy? Is it such a big deal to keep to your kvius when everything is flowing along peacefully? Let’s see you now!”
I gathered my strength – literally – and went to open a mishnayos and learn. The house was completely quiet. Everyone was asleep, and I would soon go to sleep as well...and suddenly I smelled something burning. What was it? I went into the kitchen and discovered a pot of forgotten hard boiled eggs on the stove. All the water had evaporated from the pot, and the fire was burning under the pot.
I shut off the gas, and b’chasdei Shamayim, in the zechus of my learning the entire family was spared from a fire.
