Stealing From Everyone
Now, ִיםָּל הַחַ יַּר אֶל כּיְחֻ ב means more than getting along with everyone. One more of the opportunities that living among others affords us is the great opportunity to take from others a lesson from their good qualities. That's included in being ‘connected with all the living’. You have so many models around you because everybody has different virtues. Nobody has all bad qualities. And if you look at every person, you’ll find at least one thing that you should try to kidnap for yourself.
Whatever you see that somebody else has, any good qualities that others have, you should try to take away from them. They won't lose them, don’t worry. If somebody is a man who guards his tongue, a person who doesn't talk much, he counts his words and when he talks he's careful not to speak about people, try to imitate him. This man gets up early and he comes to daven. This man remains later in the shul. The one who gets up early maybe he leaves early, and this one maybe comes late but he remains later. You steal the good qualities of both.
Different Folks, Different Strokes
Here is a man who is a ba’al tzedakah. He gives ma’aser. He gives more. Another person, he collects in addition to what he gives. When you see that, you shouldn't look at it stolidly. You're given life to be connected to the living. It means to learn from the living. I want to do that. I want to emulate that.
Here is a housewife who stands on her feet all day long and loyally prepares food and cares for everybody in the house. You have to study that. It’s a lesson for you to emulate. Be loyal to your family. Train yourself to think of others like she does.
If somebody is studying Torah, that's what you'd like to be. If somebody is succeeding in understanding emunah, in becoming a ba’al daas, that's what you'd like to be. Somebody else, you see he smiles at people. He speaks softly to his wife. Human beings possess all types of good qualities and you're put in the world with them in order to learn from each one whatever you can. That's the way to utilize mankind.
And that's why we're in this world together with people. ִיםָּל הַחַ יַּר אֶל כִּי מִי אֲ שֶׁ ר יְחֻ בּכ – If you’re connected with all the living you can always be choosing. You can always be collecting the pearls that everyone else possesses; a diamond here and a gem here, and little by little you'll become rich. You’re rich with what life has to offer.
