From the book Eliezer Eved Hashem
“Torah study leads to care in the performance of mitzvot. Care in the performance of mitzvot leads to diligence in their observance. Diligence leads to cleanliness of the soul. Cleanliness of the soul leads to abstention from all evil. Abstention from evil leads to purity and the elimination of all base desires. Purity leads to piety. Piety leads to humility. Humility leads to fear of sin. Fear of sin leads to holiness. Holiness leads to the Divine Spirit. The Divine Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead. And piety is greater than all of them…” (Gemara Avoda Zara 20b). As long as a person is getting higher in holiness/kedusha and purity/tahara, he grasps higher and more lofty thoughts.
When a man is achieving higher and loftier levels, he must also remain aware of and connected to the environment around him. A man must not fly in higher level worlds while ignoring the cry of a little boy.
This kind of work is a test like “a ladder situated on the floor whose top reaches to the sky.” A person is supposed to raise himself up the ladder. The person needs to raise himself up and elevate his soul so that he will be close to the sky. However, his legs need to be situated on the ground. He needs to pay attention and to be alert to the feelings of the individuals around him. The next story will testify like a thousand witnesses about the holy work of the Rav. That even when he did lots of wonderful things, and helped many people, he never stopped looking after the needs of the people around him.
On one erev Pesach, the Rav had a medical condition that required complicated treatment. The Rav’s doctor said that there was no choice. The Rav had to stay in the hospital over Passover. The Rav, as usual, didn’t talk about his private problems. And, as usual, he received this difficult problem with love.
The room was full with family members who came to visit and ask how the Rav was doing before the holiday of Pesach. They wanted to speak with him holy words of Torah. During the visit, the door to the room opened and the Rav’s doctor entered. The doctor was a religious Jew, a keeper of Torah and mitzvot. He came to do a few tests on the Rav.
The Rav’s followers surrounded the doctor with questions. “What exactly is the Rav’s condition? When will he be able to leave the hospital? What is the next treatment?” However, suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, the Rav raised his hand and whispered to all the people in the room. “This is not the time to ask the doctor questions! Today is erev Pesach and also the doctor needs to go home!” The smiling eyes of the doctor testified that the Rav knew well what the doctor was thinking in the depths of his heart and soul.
Translated from the book Eliezer Eved Hashem. To order a copy click here.
