Heavenly recipe Hasidic parable Once, going to Lublin to see Jose the Seer, Rebbe David of Lelov stopped along the way with his friend, whom he was supposed to take with him. He lived very poorly, but still asked his wife to prepare dinner for the guest.
The woman was confused. All she had was a little flour - not a pinch of salt, not a drop of butter. Nevertheless, she went into the forest, collected brushwood for the stove, then kneaded flour and water and cooked dumplings for dinner.
Having already returned from Lublin, Rabbi David told his wife about the trip and, among other things, said:
— When I had dinner with a friend before our trip together, his wife prepared an extraordinary delicacy. It was as if she had seasoned this dish with spices from Gan Eden (Garden of Eden). I've never eaten anything like this!
Knowing about her husband’s mystical mentality and how difficult it is to impress him with the phenomena of this world, the rebbe’s wife realized that he had a chance to try a truly rare treat, and on occasion she did not fail to remember it in order to find out the recipe.
- What recipe? — the wife of the rebbe’s friend was surprised. - It was flour and water.
- No, no, my David said that the taste was as if you had seasoned the food with spices from Gan Eden!
Suddenly the woman’s eyes widened with a realization that dawned on her.
“Gut in himel (Lord of heaven),” she exclaimed. — While collecting firewood for the stove, I prayed, saying: “Rmbono went Olam (Lord of the Universe), I have nothing with which to honor Rebbe David, but You, Hashem, You have the Garden of Eden. Please, if possible, add a little spice to my dumplings so that our guest will like them.” Looks like Hashem heard my prayer
Commentary by Rami Shapiro What do you have to honor another person? Mind? Heart? Mastery? All this was given to you by God. The origins of all your thoughts and ideas can be found in the works of teachers and sages of the past. Your feelings don’t really belong to you—you can’t keep pleasant emotions to yourself and discard unpleasant ones. The works of your hands are the result of someone teaching and instructing you. Everything you have and everything you are came to you through the efforts of other people; Ultimately, these are all the fruits of God's grace. Truly, without His gifts you are nothing.
Having realized this, a person understands that he himself cannot give anything to others and therefore is forced to rely on God in everything: “Ribono shel Olam, I am nothing without You and Your gifts. It is not in my power to honor another person as I should, and therefore I turn to You. Give grace to people through me, I will be glad to have the opportunity to serve them.” Whoever offers such a prayer with all his heart will truly taste the food of the Garden of Eden.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru