No Deposit, No Return...
Yesterday, we marked the 23rd yahrtzeit of a remarkable woman, Rebbetzen Chaya Mushka Schneerson, the wife of our beloved Rebbe, of saintly memory. Though she had no children of her own, she was the spiritual mother of tens of thousands of women and girls in our generation. In fact, almost every Chabad family and many others have a girl named Chaya Mushka in her memory. To learn more about her life CLICK HERE
In honor of her yahrtzeit, my wife Fruma together with 6 ladies in our community have joined thousands of shluchas (women who direct Chabad activities) and their guests from around the world (at least those whose flights were not cancelled due to the snow) for the annual convention in Brooklyn (Crown Heights).
It’s actually quite interesting and humorous to read the emails and blogs of Chabad Rabbis home alone with the kids asking for urgent assistance on how to cook a Shabbat dinner, run the home, juggle the kids and work, and deliver that motherly magic and warmth.
Here’s a short thought and story I’d like to share as we prepare to enter this Shabbat:
Shmerel, a poor man, once walked by the home of the richest man in the town. There was an aroma wafting out of the dining room where the wealthy man was enjoying his favorite dish, cheese blintzes. Shmerel took one whiff and was overcome with temptation. He just had to taste those blintzes. As soon as he comes home, he begs his good wife, Chasha, to make him some of those blintzes. Chasha says, "I'd love to make you blintzes, Shmerel, but I have no cheese." "Nu, my dear, so make it without the cheese." "But we've got no eggs either." "Chasha," says Shmerel, "you are a woman of great ingenuity. I'm sure you can make a plan." So Chasha sets out to do the very best she can under the circumstances. Her work done, she sets the plate of blintzes in front of her dear husband. Shmerel takes one taste, crooks his nose and says, "You know Chasha, for the life of me, I cannot understand what those rich people see in blintzes."
The bottom line is: “No deposit, No Return!” If we want to enjoy good blintzes in life we have to be willing for it to cost us something. If we wish to have satisfaction and nachas from ourselves and our families, we have to invest and set aside the time, money, and effort to the Torah and mitzvahs.
It might be tough work, but the return is truly worth it. No one who has tried it, has regretted it.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Raleigh Resnick
