[Avodah] Dixie Yid: The Warden, the Jester, and the Lawyer

[Micha Berger]

"Dixie Yid" <http://dixieyid.blogspot.com> recently blogged the following
<http://dixieyid.blogspot.com/2011/02/warden-jester-and-lawyer-chizuk-from.html>.

He writes that he got the piece from his friend, R' Marc Rossen. RMR doesn't
take credit for being the originator either.

The quote claims to be "Transcribed by Rav Nachum Meir Karelitz Chut
Hashani Hilchos Shabbas", but that's flawed. RNMK was the CI's
brother. The Chut haShani was written by R' Shemaryahu Yosef Nissim ben
Nachum Meir Karelitz, the current av beis din in Bnei Braq, who is
usually called "R' Nissim Karelitz" (e.g.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_Karelitz>). And, Hil Shabbos has at
least three volumes, as volume 3 is on HebrewBooks.org. It does not have
this vort on the cited pg, so I assume it's from a different volume. If
someone can fix the mar'eh maqom, I would appreciate it. Last, it wasn't
likely to have been transcribed. These are probably notes, at best a
translation from the original Yiddish.

In any case, don't get lost in my pedantry. Here's the text.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha


SLOBODKA'S VISION: STRIVING TO BE HUMAN
Insights from the Alter of Slobodka
Transcribed by Rav Nachum Meir Karelitz
Chut Hashani Hilchos Shabbas Page 31

People think that service of God (being religious) is limited to specific
ritual deeds, at specific times and in specific places like mitzvoth,
Torah or times for prayer. When a person finds himself outside of
these boundaries he feels himself empty and distant from serving God
and good deeds. This creates a situation that when people go to work
and involve themselves in the ways of the world their hearts are filled
with despair and their minds are disconnected from learning Torah and
Divine service. They say: "since our lives are entangled in ephemeral
business concerns and trivial pursuits even if we find a few moments
in the day for Torah and service what have I accomplished... I am lost,
certainly I am lost."

However, pinch yourself (wake up), since God's essence and glory fill
the whole world and since there is no place empty of His glory all the
deeds of man, in all places he exists, in all the times he experiences
are connected to God's glory. If reality is connected and supported by
God and all expressions come from God's decrees how is it possible that
there is a place or time in which we can't serve God?

In truth we find this vision in the Talmud Taanis 22a:

    R. Beroka Hoza'ah used to frequent the market at Be Lapat where Elijah
    often appeared to him. Once he asked [Elijah], is there anyone in this
    market who is "a ben olam haba"? He replied, No. Meanwhile Elijah
    caught sight of a man wearing black shoes and who had no thread of
    blue on the corners of his garment and Elijah exclaimed, This man
    is a "ben olam haba" has a share in the world to come. R. Beroka
    ran after him and asked him, What is your occupation? And the man
    replied: Go away and come back tomorrow. Next day he asked him again,
    What is your occupation? And he replied: I am a warden and I keep
    the men and women separate and I place my bed between them so that
    they may not come to sin; when I see a Jewish girl upon whom the
    non Jews cast their eyes I risk my life and save her. Once there was
    amongst us a betrothed girl upon whom the non Jews cast their eyes. I
    therefore took lees of [red] wine and put them in her skirt and I
    told them that she was unclean. [R. Beroka further] asked the man,
    Why have you no fringes and why do you wear black shoes? He replied:
    That the non Jews amongst whom I move may not know that I am a Jew,
    so that when a harsh decree is made [against Jews] I inform the rabbis
    and they pray [to God] and the decree is annulled. He further asked
    him, When I asked you, What is your occupation, why did you say to
    me, Go away now and come back tomorrow? He answered, They had just
    issued a harsh decree and I said I would first go and acquaint the
    rabbis of it so that they might pray to God.

        When [they were conversing] two [men] passed by and [Elijah]
        remarked, These two are also "binai olam haba.". R. Beroka then
        approached and asked them, What is your occupation? They replied,
        We are jesters, when we see men depressed we cheer them up;
        furthermore when we see two people quarrelling we strive to make
        peace between them.

Please come let's understand this Talmudic insight. Who in the world
should feel more distant and empty from serving God than these people? A
warden of prisoners -- he must feel he's as distant from religious society
as if he was sold as a slave to an idol worshiper. Or jesters who fill
their lives with jokes and deeds of little import. Nevertheless these
jesters with their levity and the warden achieved the worthy title of
"men of the world to come". Their professions were service to God and
fulfilled His desires. In truth if there exists a profession in the
world since it was created with God's will it must be used as a tool
to accomplish God's will. These people were worthy to perform their
professions with proper intention and as expressions fitting to a path
of completion to acquire their spiritual world. If people don't uplift
themselves to be involved in their professions with a shelamus and
understanding that for these professions the world was created they can
lose their merit that these professions are crucial to the world and
transform their professions into missions of little import since they
are not being done with the goal of fulfilling God's will...

These insights are not only relevant to professions but even more so
to the essence of the life of each person and his mission to live as
a human being. Only when people live in harmony with God's will and
their actions and deeds are appropriate to their spiritual potential
and abilities are they called "humans" and only then are their lives
true lives.... In truth one moment of true living as a human being makes
it worthwhile for him to have been created. "More beautiful is a moment
of repentance and good deeds than the entire world to come" (Avos)...