Moishe Rabinowitz was a very special person. Even when he was born everybody knew that he was an extraordinary human being. This became more and more apparent as he grew up. He was extremely spiritual and a genius of mammoth proportions. He could put Einstein and a few other geniuses combined in his back pocket. He also seemed to deeply care about everyone. Even though his family was wealthy he always seemed interested in those less fortunate. He was also very humble. Despite his unique gifts he never made a big deal out of himself. When he was in his 20's he moved from his home in Chicago to New York City.
One day as he was shopping in a supermarket he noticed a few Hispanic boys harassing some black girls by the meat section in the back. He didn't hesitate and went over to protect the girls. The Hispanic boys were intimidated by his height and large bulging muscles and ran away. He then told the girls to follow him and he went to the cold drinks section and bought them all drinks to quench their thirst on the hot day it was. The girls parted from him with heartfelt thanks and went home. They then told their father about their Jewish benefactor. The father said - "How can you just leave him there! Find him and bring him home!!" So the girls ran back and found him at the checkout counter and invited him to their house. He really didn't have anywhere to go so he agreed.
At the girls house Moishe was served a delicious kosher meal on paper plates. As happens Moishe and one of the girls took a liking to each other.
To make a long story short the girl became a giyores tzedek and married Moishe. Moishe later became a HUGE Rosh Yeshiva and gadol bi'yisrael. He could learn better than Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz and Rav Moshe Feinstein combined. Millions thirstily imbibed in his Torah and he wrote a classical Jewish book to be found on everybody's shelf. Even yours....
Did you get it? I told the story of Moshe Rabbeinu. Black girls [Yisro's daughters] being harassed by the shepherds, he saves them and draws water for their sheep [I told you that some of the details of my story were changed....]. Yisro tells them to call him back for a meal. He eats and marries Tzippora, an אשה כושית. He becomes the leader of the Jews, Rabbi of every Jew for all the generations and wrote the Torah [as dictated by Hashem].
I have a question.
WHY SHOULD HE CARE????????? He doesn't have anything else to worry about besides a few goyishe girls he has never met??? Move on and don't get involved in fights between the goyim! Let them beat each other up.
This is what I learn from the story: Hashem wants us to care about EVERYONE. Not only about ourselves.
Some people only care about themselves. This is a noxious form of narcissism. Can't talk about it because I fear that I will be overcome by nausea.
Others get past themselves and care about their families. That is similarly repugnant. It is nice seeing a father or mother who loves his or her own children but not to the exclusion of the rest of the world.
Some people are able to care for their community. That is much better but still in the realm of the narcissistic. "MY" community.
Others are even able to care about the Jewish people as a whole. This already is more pure and a somewhat rare quality. To love every Jew as an individual and the Jewish people as a whole. SPECIAL.
The truest holiest tzadikim don't stop there. They love EVERY HUMAN BEING because every human being was created in the image of G-d and the true tzadikim love G-d.
We actually say it in davening every day. הודו לה' קראו בשמו הודיעו בעמים עלילותיו -Thank Hashem call His name, inform the nations of his deeds. Says Rav Kook in his commentary - How much love is necessary towards all nations in order to say this pasuk. I care about everyone so I want them ALL to know about Hashem. I want EVERYBODY to have spiritual meaning in their lives. In fact, Rav Chaim Vital [student of the Arizal] writes that we should love everybody, including goyim.
Of course there are gradations. We start with ourselves. חייך קודמים. Your life comes first. It's a halacha. This includes our spouses. My wife and I are one. Then we love our families - children and parents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews etc. Then our community - עניי עירך קודמים - first you support the local poor. Then ALL of the Jewish people. And then and only then, the rest of the world [excluding, of course, the reshaim]. The ultimate goal is לתקן עולם במלכות ש-די - to bring the whole world under the banner of Hashem.
As I was writing a passage of Rav Kook from Arpilei Tohar came to mind:
I love all;
I cannot help but love all:All the nations.
From my very depth, I want the glory of all,
The perfection of all.
My love to Israel burns more greatly
And is deeper,
But this inner desire spreads out in the force of its love
To all.
I have no need at all to force this feeling of love-
It wells directly from the holy depth of Wisdom
Of the Godly soul.
Or in the original -
אני אוהב את הכל.
איני יכול שלא לאהוב את כל הבריות,
את כל העמים.
רוצה אני בכל מעמקי לב בתפארת הכל,
בתקנת הכל.
אהבתי לישראל היא יותר נלהבה, יותר עמוקה,
אבל החפץ הפנימי מתפשט הוא בעזוז אהבתו על הכל ממש.
אין לי כל צורך לכוף את רגש אהבה זה,
הוא נובע ישר מעומק הקודש של החכמה של הנשמה האלוקית.
את כל העמים.
רוצה אני בכל מעמקי לב בתפארת הכל,
בתקנת הכל.
אהבתי לישראל היא יותר נלהבה, יותר עמוקה,
אבל החפץ הפנימי מתפשט הוא בעזוז אהבתו על הכל ממש.
אין לי כל צורך לכוף את רגש אהבה זה,
הוא נובע ישר מעומק הקודש של החכמה של הנשמה האלוקית.
I reiterate that our love MUST begin with the Jews and must extend only to those worthy of our love and not to those who have not corrupted the world. אוהבי השם שנאו רע. To love Hashem means to hate evil. So we hate Hitler and Arafat and Bin Laden and those who follow in their ways.
But that still leaves quite a few people to love. Anyone who learns gemara knows that Hashem is called רחמנא - the Loving. Let us walk on His path.
Love and blessings!
PS - If you read this post a second time I think you'll "get it" better.
