A great Rav once went to honor the holy Shabbos in the holy settlement of Meron. After Shabbos, a young man approached him and asked for his blessing and prayers so that he would have plenty of money!
"Is that all, dos iz dos? " the Rav asked, "Just money you lack?"
"No," the young man replied with a smile, “Also robust health! May the Rav bless me and my wife with plenty of money and health!"
The righteous Rav entered into a pleasant conversation with the man about how blessings work. There was no secret or hocus pocus involved, he said. Rather, when a Jew undertakes some good conduct and strengthens himself in Torah and fear of heaven, he naturally becomes a conduit and vessel to receive the blessing (as I have already elaborated elsewhere).
"I want to issue you a pesak (halachic ruling)!" the Rav continued with a smile. "I appreciate your faith in my blessings, and it is appropriate to ask for money and health. Nonetheless, life doesn't end with health and money! They are not the ultimate goals. You need to delve a bit deeper into the purpose of life!”
“How is it possible that a Jew at the holy site of Meron has no spiritual requests? Where is the yearning and desire for spiritual ascent in Torah, prayer, and yiras Shamayim?” the Rav asked. “Doesn't your heart chastise you to worry about the welfare of your soul? Why don't you ask for a blessing to get closer to your Creator, to strengthen yourself more in Torah, fear, and good middos? Is all a Jew needs in his life just a lot of money and good health?!"
So they stood, in the vicinity of the holy tziyon of Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai zt”l, and spoke of life's purpose and the need to contemplate spiritual matters, to conduct an internal audit and assessment of one’s soul and of what needs to be strengthened and corrected.
At the end of the conversation, the man’s heart opened. With tears in his eyes, he asked the tzaddik to pray on his behalf that God open his eyes and grant him understanding and knowledge of the purpose of life, to elevate him from materialism and bring him closer to spirituality, to help his wisdom overcome his physical drives and his good inclination over his evil one!
Days later, after the Rav returned safely to Yerushalayim, he met the young man's father and learned that his conversation had sparked a great revolution in his son's soul!
This story teaches us an important moral lesson. We must never forget what is foremost in the world and what is secondary. We must never forget, chas veshalom, the purpose of our coming to
