Don’t Underestimate

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

The pasuk says in Kohelet, בבוקר זרע את זרעך ולערב אל תנח ידך .The Gemara in Masechet Yevamot learns from this pasuk that even if a person had many students when he was young and vibrant, he should continue trying to find more in his old age. Also, a person should never underestimate the potential of any student. As it says in the Avot d'Rabbi Natan, on one occasion, Hillel Hazaken asked if all of his students had arrived. They told him yes, except for one, but it was the weakest of the group. Hillel told them that one day that student is going to be a leader of the generation. That student was none other than Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. This idea does not only apply to a rabbi with students. Every single person who influences another Jew makes that Jew his student. If someone needs help in learning or in doing a mitzvah, we should look at that as a golden opportunity to gain another student. People are busy with their own spiritual growth and may not want to be bothered with others. But if they would know that helping someone else grow spiritually can be even better than spending the time on their own growth, they would be happy to help. I read a story that was told by the head of a Kiruv organization in New York, who we'll call Rabbi Cohen. One day, a well-known Rosh Yeshiva approached Rabbi Cohen with a request, saying that he needed help with his son. The Rosh Yeshiva had tears in his eyes as he said that his son had gone off the derech. He asked this person if he would be able to help bring his son back. Rabbi Cohen accepted the request and over time he was able to bring the boy all the way back to the level that his father was hoping for. But before Rabbi Cohen agreed to help, he made one condition with this Rosh Yeshiva. He told the Rosh Yeshiva that he himself grew up around people who were not looking to grow spiritually, nor to become great in learning Torah. When he got older, he started becoming more motivated on his own and asked his parents to go to one of the best yeshivot in New York. His parents allowed him to go. When he arrived, he felt completely out of place there. He didn't understand half of what the rabbis were saying in their shiurim. The first few weeks there, he cried every night, feeling totally lost and alone. He then worked up enough courage to ask someone else in the yeshiva to help him with some of the fundamentals that could enable him to grow there. He wanted to understand the Yiddish words the rabbis were saying, as well as how to comprehend the deep Gemara learning. The first person he asked was extremely diligent in his studies and used every one of his breaks for another learning seder. He said he was sorry, but he didn't have the time. He then went and asked someone else who looked like he would be able to help, but that boy also was busy during his breaks learning the Daf Hayomi Yerushalmi. He was completely broken and felt totally out of place with nothing to look forward to. One night he broke down crying and made heartfelt tefilot to Hashem begging him to help. He decided he was going to ask one more person for help, and if that person denied him, he was going to go back to his hometown. The next person he asked replied with a big smile on his face saying, "Of course, I would be happy to help." That person sat with the young Rabbi Cohen every day and taught him "the ropes" until he became a shining star in the yeshiva. It was from there that he became a rabbi in Kiruv and has since brought back thousands of Jews to Torah and mitzvot. Rabbi Cohen concluded his words to the Rosh Yeshiva, "My condition in helping your son is that you should know that the one who helped me with joy become the person that I am today was none other than yourself!" This Rosh Yeshiva understood as a young man the value of helping everyone in need, especially in spirituality. His efforts paid back thousands of times over, and even helped bring his own son back to Torah and mitzvot. We should never underestimate the value of helping another Jew grow spiritually.