One day, Rebbe Nachum of Stefansti found two students playing Chinese checkers at a beis midrash (religious school). It was the night of Chanukah, but instead of studying the Torah, they sat bending over the board.
Embarrassed, the Hasidim quickly threw the checkers into the box, but the rabbi smiled and, taking out the checkers again, began arranging them for a new batch.
- Do you know the rules of this game? he asked.
The students remained silent.
“Okay,” the rabbi continued, “I’ll explain to you.” Firstly, sometimes you have to sacrifice one checker to win two. Secondly, it is impossible to move two cells in one move. Thirdly, they always walk forward, and never backward. And fourthly, once you reach the edge of the board, you can move however you want!
And then, looking carefully at each of the Hasidim, the Rebbe concluded:
“But our game follows the same rules.”
Commentary by Rami Shapiro Sometimes you have to sacrifice one checker to win two. What do you need to sacrifice to get double? Inflated ego. If you want the love of another person, sacrifice the love for your own self, put your neighbor before yourself, and you will understand: having nourished another, you will be satisfied yourself.
In one move you only move one step forward. It is impossible to speed up the course of life, whatever it may be - long or short, joyful or sad. Ecclesiastes teaches: “To everything there is a season, and to every purpose under heaven” (3:1). Don't cry when it's time to laugh, and don't collect stones when it's time to scatter them. Try to know the secret purpose of each moment - and let everything take its course.
Movement is only forward. The past is behind us. You can't undo what's done. No rehearsals, no retakes. The past is a wonderful teacher, and it cannot be rewritten again. Reproducing the past in your mind over and over again, you get the same result, thereby missing a unique chance - the Present. Once you reach the edge of the board, you are free to move wherever and however you want. But there is nowhere to move! Birth and death, love and hate, ardent embraces, strife and clashes - everything is over. Up-down, here-there, past-future - everything is behind us. You won! And then, like Rebbe Nachum, you will arrange the pieces for a new game.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru