The Short Vort
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The Short Vort- -I wanted to know how you are feeling.” (7/25/10)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Sunday the 14th of Menachem-Av 5770 and July 25, 2010
I wanted to know how you are feeling.
There are many phone calls which come to me every day.
Almost all of them are calls for help.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Indeed, part and parcel of the job of a Rav is to help people is a myriad of ways.
This person has a halachik query; and this person needs advice.
Baruch Hashem, to be able to help people is one of the wonderful perks of being a rabbi.
However, on Friday an interesting message was heard on my voice mail.
The caller said, “Rabbi Eisenman, I hope I am not crossing the line, however, I noticed that you have not been drinking as you usually do at the Daf-Yomi shiur. Tomorrow (Shabbos) is supposed to be very, very hot. Rabbi, you deliver many shiurim over Shabbbos. Please make sure you drink plenty today”.
As I listened to the message, I was almost brought to tears.
Here was a person who is taking the time to call and inquire about me as a person.
There was no ulterior motive in the call. There was no addendum which added, “And while I have you on the line, can you tell your opinion on the status of my chicken soup….”
The call was clearly just for me.
Besides being very touched by the call in a personal way; the call taught me an important lesson about life in general.
All of us, no matter how independent and self-reliant we may consider ourselves, we all need, appreciate and cherish the gesture of someone taking interest in us!
Please realize that the point of this Vort is not to solicit people to call me.
The point is to solicit people to call each other.
For when someone called me, it may me realize just how precious and important is to reach out and tell someone else that you care about them.
It is one thing to know intellectually that something is correct and important, however, when one feels on oneself how touching it really is to be reached out to and touched, that is much more meaningful.
Reach out to someone today.
It will make their day.