At dawn, the righteous Radoshitzer summoned the innkeeper and asked him pointedly, “Tell me, what is the nature and origin of this clock hanging on the wall?”
The innkeeper replied matter-of-factly, recounting the events as they had occurred. He explained that Rav Yosef, the Chozeh’s son, had stayed at the inn some time ago. Lacking money to pay, he had settled his debt by offering this clock he inherited from his holy father.
“Now everything is clear!” exclaimed the Radoshitzer, his face lighting up. He began to explain, with a radiant expression, the extraordinary sanctity of this clock, which had belonged to the holy Chozeh. [The custom of large clocks in those days was to continuously emit the sound of ticking as they moved. They would chime briefly every half hour, and after each hour, they would chime according to the number of hours elapsed.]
He explained: “Most other clocks emit a mournful tone as if lamenting the passage of time, marking yet another hour that has passed and is gone forever. It was common in earlier generations to inscribe on clocks, in place of the twelve numbers, the twelve letters from the pasuk in Tehillim (144:4): Our days are as a shadow that passes, or the twelve letters of the sentence from Pirkei Avos (4:22): “Those who are born are destined to die.”
“However, the clock of my teacher, the holy Chozeh, was entirely different,” said Rav Dov Ber. “Its ticking carried a tone of joy and celebration, and its chimes proclaimed to Yisrael the approach of another hour closer to the longed-for Geulah!”
The Chozeh’s inner joy and steadfast hope in the imminent Geulah permeated this clock. As is known, the sanctity of tzaddikim not only influences their children, talmidim, and the remnants of their food but also extends even to their possessions, as the Gemara (Chullin 7b) explicitly states concerning the donkey of Rebbi Pinchas ben Yair.
Rav Dov Ber concluded: “This profound teaching, which emanates from the holy clock through its melodies and chimes, is what I absorbed and studied the entire night! For it is Torah, and we are obliged to learn from it!
“Instead of crying and lamenting over what was and is no longer, weakening the strength of a Jew, and chastising Yisrael with a harsh rod for what they have lacked—this holy clock conveys an entirely opposite message. It strengthens and encourages the Jew, instilling in Yisrael joy and sacred vitality to stand firm in their exile.”
This story teaches us that we must not despair or let our spirits fall from any hardship that may arise or from any mistake we have made, chas veshalom. For we are truly drawing closer to the world of rectification and the world of redemption and salvation.
Be strong and courageous! You can correct everything! Another hour has brought us closer to the awaited rectification. Take this next hour in your hands to magnify and glorify the Torah!
Instead of focusing on what you are missing and sinking into pain and sorrow over the negative aspects, look now and see the full part of the cup! Draw strength from the good things you have, and rejoice in the constant opportunity to repent, change, and turn everything into goodness!
As the pesukim hint (Koheles 10:2), The heart of the wise inclines to his right, but the heart of the fool to his left. The wise person constantly looks to his right—the side of kindness, goodness, and beauty. But the fool’s heart always leans to his left, dwelling on how bad things are, how much he suffers, and how he wallows in self-pity.
