COMMUNITY MAGAZINE May 2008

22 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE (1736-1772) similarly commented, “If somebody would offer me the opportunity to be Avraham Avinu, I would gladly accept – but then who would be me?” Avraham Avinu was assigned his role, and Rabbi Aharon was given his. If Rabbi Aharon did Avraham Avinu’s job, rather than his own, then who would fill his position? Rabbi Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883) had a student named Rav Naftali of Amsterdam, who once commented that if only he had the mind of the Sha’agat Aryeh (Rabbi Aryeh Leib Ginzburg, 1695-1785), the heart of the Yesod Ve’shoresh Ha’avodah (Rabbi Alexander Ziskind of Horodna, d. 1794), and the character of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, he would be able to serve Gd properly. Rabbi Yisrael heard his disciple’s remark and scolded him, saying, “No – you must serve the Almighty with your mind, with your heart, and with your character.” This outlook is what enables – and requires – a person to look respectfully upon his peers, even those of a lower level of religious achievement. He must realize that Gd created people with dif- ferent qualities, different strengths and skills, and different flaws and weak- nesses. What is expected of one person is not necessarily expected of others. It is unfair and wrong to impose one’s own standards on others; even if a person surpasses his peers in Torah and misvot , he must still respect their fine qualities and admire their accomplishments. Ask the Artisan The Gemara (Ta’anit 20a-b) tells that the aforementioned Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai, was once traveling after studying in yeshivah, and felt a sense of pride over his academic accomplishments. He came upon a certain unsightly man who extended him a greeting. Rabbi Elazar was somewhat taken aback by the man’s appearance, and he said, “How unsightly is that person! Is everyone in your city as unsightly as you?” “I don’t know,” the man replied. “Why not ask the Artisan who made me?” The masters of Kabbalah are capa- ble of discerning a person’s spiritual condition by examining his features, by studying his appearance. After an extended period of intensive learning, Rabbi Elazar encountered an ordinary layman and found him to be spiritually “unsightly,” he beheld the man’s short- comings and faults, and was aghast. The man chided Rabbi Elazar that he should direct his complaints to the Almighty, who created him – and all people – with limited potential. The Rabbi, as great as he is, should not look down upon those who have not yet reached the plateau on which he stands. Gd created mankind as an orchestra, with each “musi- cian” assigned his individual role. Every orchestra has a conductor, musicians playing string instruments, those playing trumpets and flutes, and the fellow in the back with a metal triangle to make a “ding” five times during the performance. All members of the orchestra must execute for the performance to succeed; no single member’s role can be described as more important than another’s. Similarly, not every person can become Rabbi Elazar. And if Rabbi Elazar is disturbed by the fact that many people cannot measure up to his stature, he should complain to the Almighty, not to those people. Enchanted Faucet. F I X T U R E S • F A U C E T S • H A R D W A R E • T I L E S • A C C E S S O R I E S 1663 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11230 (718) 787-1000 • Hours: M– Th. 9– 5:30, Sun. 10–4 Valet Parking • Appointments Welcome • www.homeandstone.com Ganz/Gross Adv. – NY Series2_CommunityMagHalfPg.indd 2 8/3/07 6:02:16 PM In memory of Mrs. Rae Semah v"g 