A man named Shmuel lived in Israel and enjoyed a happy, fulfilled life, with a rewarding job and beautiful family. But then, when he was in his 40s, he developed a debilitating medical condition, as a result of which he lost his job. The financial struggles caused tension in his marriage, and it became very difficult to raise his children.
A friend advised him to go to one of the outstanding Rabbis of our generation, Rav Moshe Shapiro, for his blessing and encouragement. He went to Rav Shapiro, explained to him his struggles, and Rav Shapiro warmly blessed him and expressed words of inspiration and encouragement.
Sometime later, on Purim, he decided to return to Rav Shapiro’s house. The house was filled with students and others who had come to spend time with the Rabbi and hear his brilliant Torah insights. Shmuel, a humble, unassuming person, stood quietly in the back as the Rabbi began to speak.
“One day,” the Rabbi said, “Mashiah is going to come, and people are going to line up to greet him and speak to him. He is going to walk over to a simple man named Shmuel who will be standing in the back of the line – and who is standing here right now, in the back room.” Rav Shapiro pointed to Shmuel, drawing everyone’s attention to him.
“He is going to come over to Shmuel and ask, ‘What did you accomplish? How many pages of Gemara did you learn? How many hours did you devote to community service? How much money did you give to charity?’
“Shmuel, I want you to then look at Mashiah straight in the eye and say: ‘I am the one who brought you to the world. It is because of me that you came.’”
Rav Shapiro was teaching a vitally important lesson. True greatness is not scholarship, charity, leadership positions, an impressive resume, or a large following. Of course, these are all wonderful and should be encouraged. But what makes someone great is overcoming challenges. We bring Mashiah by persevering, by getting through difficult periods and coming out stronger and more connected to Hashem. This is real greatness.
All people have heroes. Some people’s heroes are famous singers, actors or athletes. Other people’s heroes are businessmen who are worth billions. For some, the heroes are prominent donors and philanthropists. And for others, the heroes are famous Rabbis or Rosheh Yeshiva.
Here are some of my heroes:
· A 15-year-old whose parents are going through a horrible divorce, and is doing everything in his power to overcome the negativity, and remain committed to Hashem.
· The wife of a man who lost his job, found another, and then lost that job, as well, who, despite the struggles and the embarrassment of having to live simply, remains in good spirits and continues to be a loyal, loving and supportive wife.
· The man whose wife developed ALS twenty years ago, and throughout that time, he has tended to her and cared for her in every which way, even as her health deteriorated and she is confined to a wheelchair.
· The father whose son became more religious than his family, and who, despite not fully understanding his son’s direction, loves and respects his son, and supports him so he can pursue his religious studies in yeshiva.
· The man who started a business, but then, due to circumstances, had to leave, and his younger brothers took it over and became very wealthy as a result. Despite it all, he never expressed any jealousy or resentment, and ensured to remain on good terms with his brothers.
· The mother of a boy who became addicted to drugs, who does everything she can to help him and support him, all while lovingly and devotedly raising her other children.
These people are not going to get too much attention. They are not going to receive awards, be honored at fundraisers, or have articles written about then. They likely don’t have social media accounts, and if they do, they probably have fewer “friends” and “followers” than others. But they are the real heroes. Because it is overcoming difficult challenges that makes someone great.
This is the meaning of the famous Mishnah in Pirkeh Avot (5:23), לפום צערא אגרא – “The reward is commensurate to the pain.” When we experience pain and hardship, this is our opportunity to achieve greatness, to become a hero. True, few people – or nobody – will hear about it, but this makes no difference. Because real greatness and real heroism is not about attention and popularity.
Whenever we’re struggling, with any sort of problem, we must remember that לפום צערא אגרא – that the struggle is our chance to be a real hero, to be someone great. Rather than feeling embittered or frustrated, let us relish the opportunity we have been given to attain greatness. Let us rise to the challenge, and become the real heroes that we are all capable of being.