The Chofetz Chaim’s Mashal (Parable) for the Days of Shovavim

The Chofetz Chaim’s Mashal (Parable) for the Days of Shovavim

To illustrate the importance of the Days of Shovavim—a time for self-examination and spiritual growth—we will relate a famous mashal from the great Rabbi Chofetz Chaim (zechuto yagen aleinu). There once lived a simple, impoverished Jewish man. His home was bare, and his children were constantly asking for bread. Tired of his lot, he said to his wife one day: “The Sages say that one who changes his place changes his fortune. I will travel to distant lands; perhaps I will be more fortunate there.” His wife replied: “Go in peace, but remember that in five years our eldest daughter will reach marriageable age. I want you to return by then, so that she will not be considered an orphan while her father is still alive.” He promised his wife that he would return by that time, whether he succeeded or not. He traveled to a distant country and began trading in meat and fish. He enjoyed great success and accumulated a considerable fortune. The days flew by, the years passed, and the time came for him to return. He said to himself: What should I take with me? The local currency is not accepted in my homeland. He decided to bring merchandise worth the equivalent of his money. He sold his house and all his possessions and used the proceeds to buy meat and fish. He sealed them in crates, loaded them onto a ship, and set out for his homeland. At the border, customs officials opened the crates and recoiled because of the terrible stench. In the end, he was forced to use his remaining money to hire workers to dispose of the rotten meat, and he returned home empty-handed. He had left poor and returned poor. Overcome by frustration and sorrow, he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep. When he awoke, he could hardly believe his eyes. The house was brightly lit for a celebration, his wife and children were smiling happily, and the table was laden with all kinds of delicacies… “What are you celebrating?” he asked in amazement. “Your journey was not in vain,” his wife told him. “Now we will be able to marry off our daughter with honor.” He understood nothing. His wife explained that when he had taken off his shoes and gone to sleep, the children had noticed that his shoes were caked with dirt. They cleaned them, broke apart the clumps of earth, and found large and small precious stones inside. They took one of them to a jeweler, who paid them a great deal of money for it. If he had paid so much for one stone, imagine how much he would pay for all of them. They now had dowries for all their children. He listened to her and became agitated: “You mean those little, glittering stones? There were as many of them as ordinary stones in the street. If I had known how valuable they were, I would have filled the crates with them and become one of the wealthiest people in the country.” “The same is true,” explains Rabbeinu Chofetz Chaim, “of the soul, which is sent into this world to observe the Torah and mitzvot, thereby attaining eternal happiness and wealth. “But here, in this world, a person becomes a trader in meat and fish and does so with great success. He eats and drinks, rejoices, and indulges himself. “When the time comes to return to his Source, he takes a crate filled with meat with him (his body fills the coffin)… “But the body rots in the grave: ‘He who increases flesh increases worms.’ “The soul ascends to Heaven, confused and trembling. “It realizes that its time has been wasted and that it is returning empty-handed. “The soul appears before the Heavenly Court—and suddenly, a surprise: light and radiance, immeasurable wealth. For even Jewish sinners are full of mitzvot, like a pomegranate filled with seeds. “On one day he gave tzedakah; on another day he prayed with concentration; on a third day he smiled at someone, performed an act of kindness, visited the sick, asked after another person’s well-being, helped a bride… Mitzvot, ‘clinging to his heels’ like dirt, will earn this person a share in the World to Come. “And he trembles and is overcome with emotion: ‘If I had known that this is how the accounting was kept, I would have filled baskets and sacks with them and brought them back, as much as dirt.’” (Chofetz Chaim HaChadash al HaTorah, Mishlei Chofetz Chaim)