The Offspring of Tzaddikim Are Their Good Deeds
This is why Chazal tell us, טובים מעשים צדיקים של תולדותיהן, the offspring of tzaddikim are their good deeds. When we plant a tree, we can’t tell immediately whether it was successful. Much later, when the fruit comes forth, we know that something came from our efforts.
It is the same regarding a tzaddik: How do we know if he succeeded in bringing kedushah into the world through his words? After many years, often long after he has departed This World, we see what kind of fruits he left behind, what kind of yiras Shamayim remained due to his words! Ah! Now, we understand that the tzaddik had a true koach hadibbur, a true Middas HaMalchus.
The Impression of Holy Words Remains Forever
For this reason, we can often hear people wondering, “I don’t know why... in the lifetime of this tzaddik we didn’t see very much, but now, look what’s happening; there’s so much fervor around his words and teachings.”
It’s really very simple. In his lifetime, this tzaddik was planting. The blossoms weren’t here yet: This we see only later, when we reflect on how many Yiddishe homes and yeshivos and kollelim were built with the koach of this tzaddik!
Now, forty and fifty years later, we see Yidden drawing yiras Shamayim from people who you couldn’t even hear when they were alive. Do you know why? Because the tzaddik had the true power of speech! He was completely nullified to Hashem!
The tzaddik was under no illusion that he is a master orator. He was well aware that he may have been difficult to understand. But he didn’t care—because he wasn’t selling himself! He was selling Yidden on avodas Hashem and yiras Shamayim!
