A famous scientist once visited his rebbe. The fact is that he wanted to change his occupation, but first decided to consult with his mentor. The scientist was tired of teaching people and envied those who, apparently, always had a little time to rest, smoke a pipe and meditate on the Kabbalistic mysteries of God and creation.
“Teaching is just hard labor,” he complained to himself. “You have to spend hours preparing, then giving lectures, and then also answering endless questions from students!” No wonder I never have enough time for the pleasures available to other people.
When the scientist reached the rebbe’s house, it turned out that he was sick and lying in bed. The guest was about to greet Rabbi Refua with a helmet (a wish for a speedy and complete recovery), but he stopped him:
“Let me tell you the secret of a saying from the Torah: “This is the life of Noah.” The word "Noah" means "light", "comfortable". The word “Behold” connects this phrase with the saying: “Behold your God, O Israel.” What's the connection here? We tend to make an idol out of ease and prefer to pray to convenience rather than to truth. But it is impossible to determine who makes more effort and who less. The only thing that can be stated is whether we remain true to ourselves in our efforts.
The scientist, amazed that his mentor was able to read his thoughts, nodded in agreement. But he was still not completely satisfied, so he said:
“All this is true, Rabbi, but the Torah also says something else: “Noah walked with God.” How to understand this?
“Each of us has our own personal path to God,” the rebbe answered. “Some people come to Him through self-deepening and reflection, some through physical labor, some through science. And it always seems to us that someone else’s path is easier than ours, because we do not know all the difficulties that it promises. But if you exchange your path for another, you will find that you are lost, because the path itself has imperceptibly replaced the goal for you. Don't give up science, my son. Work day and night to uncover the mysteries of the Holy Scriptures and share them with your students. This is your path. This is how you walk before God.
The scientist bowed, thanked his mentor and went home.
Commentary by Rami Shapiro Genuine spiritual work requires our full dedication. It depletes all a person’s resources, bringing him to a point where he is about to fall into the abyss. For only in anticipation of a breakdown is a breakthrough possible.
This is precisely the knowledge of the rebbe; this is precisely what his student-scientist must learn, who confuses “Noah” and God, ease and reality. The scientist thinks that if he changes careers, he will have the time needed to awaken to God's Presence. But his desire for God is replaced by a desire for an easy life. When a person has free time, it turns out that it helps to get closer to God no more than academic studies. The path depends on the traveler, not the traveler on the path.
Each person is a unique expression of God's infinite diversity. We are all united by the goal of uniting with the Lord and lifting the veil that separates people from the Divine Presence in all things, but the ways of achieving this task are as different from each other as the people who follow them. What's your path? And how do you know that this is really your path?
One way to determine whether you have chosen the right direction is to compare your path with the paths of other people. But at the same time, we often do not notice the difficulties that those around us face; it begins to seem to us that others have an easy time going through life. At such a moment, there is a temptation to distract yourself from the goal - from God - and focus on making it easier for yourself to achieve it. We would like to get to God with an easy and leisurely stroll. However, it is highly doubtful that anyone will ever succeed.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru