Mussar On Broadway

Today on my way home from shul I stopped at a storefront window that caught my eye on Braodway. There were pictures of apartments and their prices for potential buyers. I learned that for a tiny apartment in the city, I would have to pay close to a million dollars. For a small apartment - over a million and a half. A saleswoman who saw me looking and smelled a potential customer [boy was she barking up the wrong tree:-), I have only earned a fraction of the price of the smallest apartment in my whole life put together. Plus - until Manhattan relocates to Israel I wouldn't want to live there], came outside and smiled and asked if she can help and if I have any questions. I smiled back and said that I am just looking.

In fact - I did have a question! How does one get 1.6 million dollars?? Especially if he sits and learns all day and has no financial ambitions? The answer is generally - he doesn't!!:-) Unless he marries it or inherits it and I didn't marry it and don't want to inherit anything. I want my parents to live forever. But, I thought, I could do SOOOOO many mitzvos if Hashem would just give me the means! I would also be able to marry off my children and help them afterwards. C'mon Hashem - you can do it! EVERYTHING belongs to you. All of Buffets' and Gates' money and much, much more. Send me some and I promise to be a good boy. I won't buy fancy cars [I don't drive:-)]. I won't go on extravagent vacations. For me a fun trip is to go to Poland and see what the Kli Chemdah says on the parsha, so I open up a Kli Chemdah. I won't buy a fancy new wardrobe - all of my clothing looks the same no matter what:-).

The deep theological answer is - If I don't got it - I don't need it:-). Just a short time before I walked by this store, I had thanked Hashem שעשה לי כל צרכי - He gives me everything I need and denies me everything I don't need. I need a wife and children so that is what I have. And exactly this wife and these children. I don't need a vacation home in Switzerland [not that I want one..] so I don't have one. I need two eyes and two ears so I have them but I don't need a photographic memory so I don't have one. It is all "cheshboned out" in shomayim.

Remember - whatever you have and don't have in life is ALSO exactly what you need. A husband or wife, more or less money, better or worse health etc. etc. Not more or less. Of course you should daven for whatever you want and need but as long as you don't get it that is a clear indication you don't need it.

Who would think we could learn such shtark mussar from a real-estate group on Broadway.....:-)