My Crack Might Be Your Bloom: 5 Parables to Ponder

Don't Be Right, Be Smart

There was once an old retired man whose peace was disturbed by a group of children who used to play under the window of his small first-floor apartment.

Due to his wisdom and vast experience, he figured that yelling at them and chasing them away would not be wise and might even worsen the situation.

He contemplated for a few days until finally, an idea struck him. He went outside to them and said that he enjoyed hearing the sounds of children playing and was willing to give each of them 10 shekels to play beneath his window.

The kids were thrilled with the idea.

In the first week, he paid them 10 shekels every day throughout the week.

In the second week, he went out to them again after their games and explained that because he didn’t have much money, he would now pay them only 5 shekels each.

The children were unhappy with the reduction in pay. Some left, but most stayed.

At the start of the third week, the old retiree went to the children again and explained to them that he was very poor and couldn’t afford such payments. He announced that from now on, he would pay only one shekel a day to each of them.

The children left angrily, muttering that they were not willing to play under his window....

Friends, in life, you don’t need to be right; you need to be smart! Righteousness is not always the correct path. It is advisable to use intellect and logic and back down from rigid stances that lead us nowhere and might even complicate us.

Sometimes, our desire to be right and 'win' drags us into battles of attrition with those around us, causing us to behave negatively and unpleasantly. Often, we think that giving in and 'lowering our heads' means losing, but it stems from pride. A person who gives in to their friend never loses. Even if conceding is difficult and the experience is not simple, remember that from concession, you do not lose...

The Evil We See Is Actually Our Salvation...

Yossi had an appointment with a doctor to have a crown put on one of his teeth...

The doctor prepared the crown for implantation, opened Yossi's mouth to 'dress' it on the tooth, but the crown slipped straight into Yossi's throat. The danger was great; one side of the crown was very sharp and could tear the esophagus. Yossi was immediately taken to the hospital directly for an X-ray.

In the meantime, Yossi's family, who received the news, arrived. Amid prayers for good news, one of them said, "Just let the treatment be over, and I will sue the doctor for terrible negligence!"

After a few hours, the doctor came out and said, "We did an X-ray of your loved one's throat — the crown didn’t fall on the dangerous side, but as a result of the X-ray, we discovered a worrying finding — he has a tumor in his throat! The tumor is in its initial stages, so it will be easy to remove without danger. Without the X-ray, there would have been no chance of discovering it."

Yossi underwent several treatments, and the tumor was removed...

One of Yossi's friends turned to the family member who threatened to sue the dentist and asked, "Do you still intend to sue the dentist, or will you bring him a bouquet...?"

There is no doubt that the dentist erred and failed in his duty. Yet only Hashem knew that the greatest favor that could be done for Yossi was for the crown to fall into his throat...

How many times do we "rush" to make hurried conclusions and judge our fellow man negatively. Not only our fellow man, but also the way of Hashem's guidance.

We often experience events that do not bode well, events where the harm is visible. Yet it must be known that Hashem sees beyond, sees a step ahead, only He understands that the evil we see is actually our salvation...

A person who believes with true and complete faith that what Hashem does, He does for good, can remain calm and serene even in the midst of the painful event. Remember — if you were late for work because there were traffic jams, if you fell and were injured, if the store closed just when you arrived... it's all for your good.

Every Deficiency Is Also a Potential Advantage

An old Chinese woman had 2 large pots. Each hung on the end of a long pole that she carried on her neck.

One of the pots had a crack. The second pot was whole and perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the river to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.

So it went for two full years. Each day, the woman returned home with only a pot and a half of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was very proud of itself and its accomplishments. The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its flaw and felt miserable about accomplishing only half of its intended function.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, one day, by the river, the pot opened its mouth and said to the woman: "I am ashamed of myself because the crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to your house."

The elderly woman smiled, "Did you notice, dear pot, that there are flowers on your side of the path but only barrenness on the other pot’s side?"

That is not by chance. I have always been aware of your deficiency, and so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day when we walk back from the river, you water them!"

For two years I have enjoyed the delightful flowers that decorate my home which I picked from your side of the path. Were you not just the way you are, all this beauty would have been missing from the world...

Each of us has our unique deficiency. Our life together is so interesting and worthwhile, precisely because of the "cracks" each one has. We must only accept each person as they are and seek the good in them. No one is perfect, not even ourselves. It is important not to be so judgmental and critical of others. Let us try to see the good in others.

Every negative trait can be the foundation and threshold for a very positive trait. For example, stubbornness can be strength and steadiness in serving Hashem. We learn here a fundamental principle: every deficiency is also a potential advantage. This principle is expressed in many places in the Torah. For instance, it is specifically the incense spice of frankincense, which has a bad smell, and specifically the willow, which has neither taste nor smell, are essential conditions for reaching holiness, for transforming sins into merits...

Lost Sandal

Anyone traveling on an Indian train knows how crowded they are.

One day, a passenger sitting on the roof of the carriage lost one of his sandals. The sandal fell off his foot and landed alongside the tracks. The man quickly removed the sandal from his other foot and threw it down as well before the train could pass.

A fellow passenger sitting nearby was astonished and asked him about his actions.

"I have no use for only one sandal," he replied, "It won't benefit me, but if someone finds the sandal that fell off my foot, it's better they find a pair of sandals"...

May we all be like that poor passenger on an Indian train, those willing to give away what we do not need to those who do need it (and can make proper use of it).

It's not difficult. We all have toys, books, clothes, or items that have no use at home. Instead of storing them in the attic, we can bring them to those in need, who will surely find them useful...

The importance of the mitzvah of charity is incomparable: the commandment to give to others, to forgo selfishness and materialism for the sake of others, to prefer spirit over matter, the soul over the body, values over personal desires.

The World to Come

A conversation between two babies in their mother's womb.

Baby A: "Do you believe in life after birth?"

Baby B: "What do you mean?! Of course! There must be something after birth; obviously, we're here to prepare for what comes later."

Baby A: "Nonsense! There is no life after birth, what kind of life would that be?"

Baby B: "I don't know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will be able to walk on our legs and eat with our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses we are not familiar with and don't understand now."

Baby A: "That's absurd. You can't walk! And eating with the mouth? Are you crazy? The umbilical cord supplies us with everything we need. And it's short and we can't stray far. Life after birth is impossible in a logical sense."

Baby B: "Well, I think there's something, maybe it's different than here, maybe we won't need this physical connection anymore."

Baby A: "Nonsense! And if there is life after birth, why has no one ever returned from there? Birth is the end of life! After that, there's nothing but darkness, silence, and oblivion. There's nowhere to go."

Baby B: "Well, I don't know! But surely we'll meet mom, and she will care for us and look after us."

"Mom?" asks Baby A, "Do you really believe in mom? That's amusing! If mom really exists, where is she now?"

Baby B: "She is all around us all the time. We are surrounded by her. We are made from her. We live within her. Without her, our world could not exist."

Baby A: "I don't see her, so it's not reasonable to believe she exists!"

Baby B: "Sometimes, when you're quiet and you focus and really listen, you can perceive her presence, and you can hear her loving voice singing to us.... calling us from above..."

Sound familiar?

It's not a matter of belief. The birth will happen anyway — both twins agree on this. Only one twin asserts that there is a continuation but in a different, unfamiliar form of life than both are familiar with. In contrast, the second twin believes that in birth, life ends, and there is no continuation in any form. When both are born, they will indeed undergo a transformation to a different form of life regardless of whether you are a believing twin or an atheistic twin. Only the believing twin is more aware of their surroundings...

Friends, even now we have a Father who watches over us all the time, even if we don't see Him. Without Him, our world would not be able to exist. If we truly contemplate, we discover that all of creation shouts that there is a Creator who watches over every detail. And after 120 years, there is life after death, and our soul will rise upwards, and then our real life will begin, in the world to come...