A wealthy merchant once passed through Mezritch and, having heard of the Maggid, decided to visit him. As he walked down the modest street and approached the Maggid’s home, a simple, even poor-looking dwelling, he grew increasingly confused. Inside, he could not hide his shock.
Seeing his discomfort, the Maggid asked what troubled him.
“With all due respect,” the merchant said, “I don’t understand. A man of your greatness! I expected a more dignified home. Perhaps in a small village you would avoid a mansion, but surely inside there should be furnishings or objects befitting a leader of the generation.”
“Tell me,” the Maggid replied gently, “in your room at the inn, what do you have there?”
“Just travel necessities, some clothes and account books.”
“And what of your fine furniture and treasures?”
The merchant laughed. “I wouldn’t drag my paintings and chandeliers on the road! The inn is only temporary. But at home, ah! there I have beautiful possessions that reflect my success.”
“Exactly,” said the Maggid with a smile. “This world is only an inn, a temporary stop. I keep here only what I need for the journey. My true treasures, my Torah, my mitzvot, and the merit of all I have taught, those are waiting for me at home.”
In this week’s Torah portion, Rashi explains Jacob’s words, “I dwelled (garti) with Lavan.” Jacob hints that he lived there only as a stranger, his oxen, donkeys, and sheep were merely tools, not his true identity. His real home was where he connected to his soul through Torah and mitzvot. The word garti shares the letters of taryag, 613, teaching that even in Lavan’s environment, Jacob kept the 613 mitzvot. How? Because he never gave the physical world undue importance. It was simply a vehicle to serve Hashem.
This is our lesson too. The noise of the world, celebrities, politicians, peers, often take up far too much space in our minds. Instead, we must anchor ourselves in our values, resist peer pressure, embrace our Judaism proudly, and live with confidence in who we are.
This Tuesday, G-d willing, we will gather for a 19 Kislev farbrengen, and you’re warmly invited. Chassidus has always given Jews the strength not to be defined by the world’s opinions, but to refine the world and connect meaningfully with Hashem.
Have a good Shabbos,
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman
P.S. Here is a great video of a song about this story with the Maggid