In Koheles it states, לבך בדרך והלך, "Follow the way of your heart" (11:9). The Netziv (Ha’amek Davar, end of parashas Shelach) explains that this pasuk suggests that everyone find his personal way to serve Hashem. He writes, “People serve Hashem in different ways: Some toil in Torah all day long, others are occupied in tefillah, and a third group does gemilus chassadim, and all of these paths are leshem Shamayim. Even for Torah study, not all people should study the same way. Also, regarding mitzvos, people vary [in where they place their emphasis]. Therefore, the Gemara (Shabbos 118) teaches that the Amoraim would ask their friends, “Which mitzvah was your father most cautious with?” One said that his father was cautious with tzitzis, another said that his father was cautious with Shabbos. In gemilus chasadim, people aren’t the same either. If one asks: Since there are so many ways to serve Hashem, which is the correct path? How should one study Torah, keep the mitzvos, and do chessed? Koheles answers: לבך בדרך הלך, see where your heart pulls you. Your heart will show you where your strengths are,” and that is the path you should follow.
When Rav Meir Shapiro zt’l was young, he was the Rav of Sanik. One Shabbos, Reb Meir Shapiro was visiting his Rebbe, Rebbe Yisrael of Chortkov zt’l, and the Rebbe honored him to be the chazan for the שבת מברכים benching and for mussaf. After the tefillah, the Rebbe invited Reb Meir Shapiro to eat the Shabbos seudah with him.
After he finished the meal, chassidim gathered around him wanting to know what happened during the seudah. Reb Meir Shapiro told them the following:
"As soon as I came in, the Rebbe said to me, 'Ah! Reb Meir! Your tefillah! Your rosh chodesh benching! They were so beautiful.' The Rebbe repeated this several times during the meal. I said to the Rebbe, ‘If the Rebbe enjoys my tefillah so much, perhaps I should leave Sanik and become the chazan here?'
“The Rebbe became serious and told me a story of Rebbe Zusha of Anipoli zt'l. Rebbe Zusha would go to galus, traveling from one place to another. One time, he came to the city where the gaon Reb Yusfa zt'l lived. Reb Zusha went to listen to Reb Yusfa's shiur because Reb Yusfa was a great talmid chacham, an expert in all parts of the Torah. After the shiur, Reb Zusha went over to Rav Yusfa to tell him how much he enjoyed the shiur. ‘It was worth traveling the long distance from my home to come here, just to listen to this sweet shiur...’
Rav Yusfa said to Reb Zusha, “I understand why you were impressed with my shiur, but I can't figure out why I’m so impressed with you? At first glance, you look like a standard pauper who goes from city to city to collect money. But I perceive that the spirit of Hashem rests on you. You are certainly a great talmid chacham.”
Reb Zusha answered, “Not at all. I'm an am haa’retz"
