How Often Do We Focus on the Physical While the Spiritual Lags Behind?

Women's Corner
by Rabbanith Ruth Menashe

A man from out of town was hosted by one of his relatives. He accompanied his relative the entire day. The guest quietly observed his host's behaviour. In the evening, the two of them sat for dinner and the guest said: "When we went for prayers this morning, I noticed that your Tzitzit (Tallit Gadol) was torn and your Tefillin needed repair."

His host replied: "Times are tough and the business is not doing at all well. Replacing the Tzitzit and reparing the Tefillin is a big expense, which is beyond my means." The guest replied, "Had I seen you save when it comes to your household expenses, I would have kept quiet. But I see that this is not the case. It seems to me that the fact that you are pressed financially applies only to expenses concerning your service of G-d".

Chacham Yosef Chaim a"h who tells us this insightful story continues as follows. "I noticed", said the guest, "that a number of times when you drank water, you forgot to say the "Bracha Acharona". At times you did not even recite the blessing before eating."

The relative answered: "My mind is so overloaded that at times I simply forget". "Well," replied the guest, "I listened to your conversations with your family members and was impressed at how well you remembered how much money each one took from you and how you remembered all that without the use of a pad. You memorized the entire information in your head!" (The full version of this story can be read in Birkat Chayyim, Shoftim).

Don't we sometimes fall into the self same trap and act similarly? Aren't we pressed with time when it comes to saying Tefilla (prayer) or visiting a sick person but waste plenty of time on "nonsense"? Don't we find it difficult to put our hands in our pockets for a "religious purpose" but spend freely in the mall on unnecessary items?

In the haftarah of Parashat Shoftim, the prophet Yeshayahu cries out to his people and says: "And you have forgotten G-d, your maker..." The Ben Ish Chai comments on how ironic it is! We forget that which is spiritual, but remember very well physical materialistic matters. In fact, the opposite should be true. It is enough to just open our eyes and look around us. The Heaven, the earth, the trees, flowers and mountains, the whole creation is constantly around us. How can one forget G-d and spirituality? His presence is constantly around us.