By: Yehuda BergMore Coins, Please
“... we will learn to not be afraid of pain, and to see the blessings it contains.”
Growing up, my father often told me a story that he learned from his teacher, Rav Braindwein, about how to deal with situations that seem difficult or troublesome.
It is told of a certain landlord in Russia that he told his deputy in charge that he had to go away for a few weeks and he commanded him to make sure that things ran smoothly. When the landlord left, all the laborers gathered upon the deputy and gave him at least ten beatings every day. The deputy came home everyday badly bruised and with tears in his eyes. His wife would console him and remind him that they needed the money to live.
Three weeks went by and the landlord returned. He saw the deputy was black and blue in all parts of his body. The landlord asked him how he came to this state and he told him about all that went on after he had left. The landlord investigated and found that the story was true and commanded his treasurer to give the deputy one golden coin from his own treasury for every blow that he had received while he was away.
With this money, the deputy did not have to work anymore and he could leave his employment with the landlord, and consequently, he would not have any more problems from the workers.
When the deputy received the golden coins, he went back home crying with tears in his eyes. His wife asked him pitifully if he had been beaten again by the ruffians.
"No", he said, "the landlord came back today and when he saw me badly beaten and bruised, he asked me what happened. I told him and that made him so sad and uncomfortable that he commanded his treasurer to go to the treasury and get me one golden coin for each blow that I received. Here are the coins. They will be enough for us to live on without me having to ever work again."
His wife asked him why he was crying, telling him he should be very happy. The deputy replied, with tears in his eyes: "You do not understand. I am sad because I was not given twice or three times as many blows. Then the landlord would have given me twice or three times the amount of coins!"
This week, know that those of us who seek the spiritual path in life must think in this manner. We must remember that the problems and troubles that seem to disturb us are only for our benefit.
When we learn to see this while it's taking place, then, like the deputy, we will learn to not be afraid of pain, and to see the blessings it contains.
All the best,
Yehuda
72 Name of the Week
Yud Nun Aleph
37. The Big Picture
This Name raises my awareness of the long-term effects of all my actions. I gain the ability to see the spiritual challenges in every moment, before they become the foundations of chaos and crises.
