Shabbos Shekalim is approaching. A few days afterwards, will be rosh chodesh Adar. Not long after that will be Shabbos Zachor, Purim, and other holy days. We should take advantage of this special time. It would be a mistake to go through these days the same way as the rest of the year.
Reb Mordechai is a travel agent who travels often. On one of his trips, he had enough points to travel first class if he added just one hundred shekel. Reb Mordechai struggled financially, but he was curious how it felt to travel first class, so he booked the upgrade. Reb Mordechai felt like a millionaire on the flight. He sat among the wealthiest people on board and had a comfortable seat (he kept playing with the buttons, trying to find the most comfortable position). He felt special already at the airport. He didn't have to wait in line with everyone else. There was a special agent for fortunate people like himself who flew first class.
A Yid, flying economy class, wanted to see who was flying in the first-class cabin. (Perhaps it was just a matter of curiosity, or perhaps the purpose of his trip was to raise money for hachnasas kallah, so he figured he might as well begin his mission on the plane.) Whatever his motives, he waited for a time when the stewards didn't notice and slipped into the first-class cabin. When he saw Reb Mordechai, he said, "Oh, it's just that shlepper!" Reb Mordechai said that at that moment, his balloon popped, and he felt like a poor man again. He had almost convinced himself that he was wealthy, and now someone who knew him realized the truth: he was just a poor man. Reb Mordechai added that he realized then that it wasn't sufficient to pretend to be wealthy. If you want to feel wealthy, you have to be wealthy.
The nimshal is as follows. Shabbos Shekalim is approaching, a time when we can "take ourselves in our hands," a time we can do teshuvah and improve our ways. However, if you just go through the motions and don't change, you will continue to be "just that shlepper."
It can be compared to a person marrying off his child and is at the chasunah celebration right now. That night isn’t usual, and he doesn’t feel like a mundane, regular weekday evening. Praise to Hashem should be in his heart and his speech. If a person says, "How can I be different than I am all year? I am an honest person, and I am not on those higher levels," his reasoning is wrong. There are times when one should take himself in his hands and go up and live on a higher plane. As we wrote above, שקלים means to take oneself in hand to change himself, and we also wrote that Moshe comes and raises our heads. So, we shouldn't be the same at this time of year as we are the entire year. It is time to go up a notch.
A bachur sat in the front seat of a bus. An elderly person got on the bus, and the bachur didn't stand up for him to give him the seat. The elderly person wanted to sit down, but he didn't have any complaints about this bachur because he saw that the bachur's eyes were closed. "He didn't even see me," the elderly man thought. He waited patiently for the bachur to open his eyes and see him, but the bachur's eyes were closed throughout the bus ride! The elderly man was impressed. "This bachur is very careful with his eyes," he thought. When they neared the final stop, he spoke to the bachur (who had finally opened his eyes). He asked him where he learned and to which chassidus he belonged. He wanted to know which places teach their students so well to be cautious with their kedushah. The bachur replied, "There is nothing to be impressed with. When I saw you get onto the bus, I quickly shut my eyes. I wouldn't feel comfortable sitting here when I see an elderly person standing."
This story addresses the people who keep their eyes shut and say they don't see anything. We know that Shabbos Shekalim and other significant days are approaching; we shouldn't keep our eyes closed and pretend that we don't see anything and that we don't know anything that is going on. Open your eyes and connect to the holiness of this time.
Chazal (Chagigah 4.) say, המאבד זה ,שוטה זהו אי לו שנותנים מה כל, "Who is a fool? It is a person who loses everything that was given to him." A talmid chacham said to Reb Yankele of Pshevorsk zt'l that he saw this quote from Chazal often quoted in the words of the Rishonim and the Acharonim without the word כל. Those quotes state, זה ,שוטה זהו אי לו שנותנים מה המאבד, "Who is a fool? It is a person who loses what was given to him." When he saw those sources, he was worried. "Perhaps I am called a שוטה by Chazal because I lose so many good opportunities." Hashem gives us Shabbos, yom tov, and other special opportunities, and he doesn’t utilize these days and opportunities to the fullest. However, when he saw that the Gemara Chagigah added the word כל, that comforted him. Because although he felt guilty that he lost opportunities in life, he wasn't losing לו שנותנים מה כל, everything that was given to him. At least, to some extent, he does make use of the gifts that Hashem sends him. To a degree, he does attempt to connect with the holiness of the special days that Hashem gives us, and that is sufficient that he won't be called a שוטה by Chazal. This talmid chacham gave over this idea to Reb Yankele of Pshevorsk zt'l, who praised his temimus and explanation immensely.
Let us remember that Shabbos Shekalim is a special time. We should not lose the gift that Hashem gave us. And even if we won't use the gift to its fullest, at least we shouldn't be like the fools who lose everything Hashem gives them!
Reb Sariyah Dibletzky zt'l (Davar Nechmad) writes, "Reb Eliyahu Cohen and Reb Chaim Abulafiah zt'l heard from Reb Chaim Vital's students that one should recite the entire Tehillim on Rosh Chodesh Adar. This will fix his neshamah. There are other secrets, too [for reciting the entire Tehillim on Rosh Chodesh Adar]. It is proper that those who fear Hashem should gather to make this tikkun." As we are explaining, the main thing is that one shouldn't be a שוטה, a fool who loses everything that was given to him. So, if you can't say the entire Tehillim on Rosh Chodesh Adar, say as many chapters of Tehillim as you can. Do something, and don't be a fool who loses every opportunity Hashem gives him.
Like all other towns and cities, Lubavitch had its town meshugene, who was well loved by the townspeople. But he was just one meshugene in a small town and sometimes felt lonely. One day, he was invited to move to the larger city of Vitebsk, where there would be more meshugoyim for him to hang out with. The offer tempted him, but he felt, "How could he leave the people of Lubavitch without their town meshugene?
He wanted to discuss this with the Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch zt'l, known as the Rebbe Maharash. But the Rebbe’s gabai refused to give him an appointment. He felt that it would be a waste of the Rebbe's time. Undeterred, the wily meshugene waited until the Rebbe was leaving town, as he often did for his health. As the Rebbe’s wagon passed, the meshugene leaped aboard and explained his dilemma to the Rebbe. The Rebbe advised him to remain in Lubavitch since the town needed him to be their meshugene. After he jumped off the wagon with a satisfied grin, the meshugene was almost immediately surrounded by chassidim who wanted to know what he had discussed with the Rebbe. He gladly shared with them his dilemma and the Rebbe’s advice. “But you are a meshugene!” marveled one of the chassidim. “How do you know to ask and follow the Rebbe’s advice?” “Meshuga, meshuga,” he replied sagely, “but seichel (common sense) you must have."
This story is a lesson for us, who aren't wise, and we waste the excellent opportunities that Hashem gives us. Meshuga, meshuga, but we must be smart enough to save as much as we can and utilize this holy time to the best of our abilities.
