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| From 'Shushan Town’ bhol |
As Long as the Candle is Burning – ל זמן שהנר דולק
It’s told that Rabbi Yisrael Salanter zt”l once noticed an elderly shoe-maker working late into the night by the light of a small flickering flame. Reb Yisrael approached him and after engaging in conversation eventually registered his criticism. The old Jew understood that it looked as if work had overtaken his life but he answered back and said, “As long as the candle is burning there’s still time to work and repair!”
When Reb Yisrael heard these words they went into his heart like an arrow. Here he came to offer a rebuke and he was struck with such a powerful aphorism in disguise. He was heard for weeks afterwards pacing in his room crying and repeating the words, “As long as the candle is burning there is still time to work and repair.”
When the Dubner Maggid was asked why [he] answered every question with a parable he is reported to have said, “I’ll tell you a parable!”- In a certain town there was a person named Emes–Truth that always created a stir wherever he went because he was naked. There was always some sort of strong reaction to his presence and by most he was deemed a nuisance.
He had an old friend named Moshol-Parable who approached him one day and explained, “So many people are disturbed by your appearance. I have a helpful suggestion. If you were to wear one my suits then I think people will tolerate you, understand you, and even accept you.” So it was that Emes–Truth put on one of Moshol–Parable’s fine suits and he was able to be found mingling comfortably amongst the citizenry of the town, and his message could be heard.
It seems to be a part of human psychology that when faced with raw truth we all tend to shrink and hide. However, when we see it dressed up in a story or a metaphor we can afford to agree to the lesson before deciding first if it makes us uncomfortable. Reading about somebody else’s foibles educates without tripping alarms, by artfully bypassing the defense mechanisms.
Source: (in part from) torah.org
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