Reb Hillel Paritcher was a baal avodah and dedicated chassid of the Alter Rebbe and his successors. A Chasidic master in his own right, Reb Hillel was an intense eved Hashem known for his lengthy, meditative tefillah and his dedication and attachment to tzadikim.
One Wednesday morning while learning Torah in his hometown of Bobroisk, Reb Hillel was moved by a deep desire to spend Shabbos with his Rebbe in the city of Lubavitch, many miles away. But making it there in time for Shabbos was highly unlikely.
A young chassid, eager to assist Reb Hillel, offered to bring Reb Hillel to Lubavitch with his strong horses and new carriage; they could make it for Shabbos if they left right away, and on condition that after they stopped for a brief rest overnight, Reb Hillel would not spend too much time davening Shachris before continuing the journey. They were on a tight schedule and could not afford any additional delays. They embarked on the journey and spent the night at a kretchma, a roadside inn.
In the morning, long after the young man had finished davening and his breakfast, Reb Hillel was still deeply engrossed in tefillah. Hours went by, and Reb Hillel showed no signs of letting up. The driver continuously checked on Reb Hillel, who remained in a state of dveykus, completely oblivious to the passing time.
When Reb Hillel finally completed his davening, the young man struggled to maintain his respectful tone and composure: “I just don’t understand! You so wanted to spend Shabbos with the Rebbe, and you promised to not shlep out your davening. It’s now well after noon, and there is no chance we will make it to Lubavitch in time for Shabbos. We’ll have to stay here, or head back home! Chaval!”
“Young man,” sighed Reb Hillel, “let’s say you set out to Leipzig Fair with the intention of buying some rare and exclusive merchandise. While ba-derech, on the way, you happened to meet another merchant offering those very wares at a below-market price. What a find! Imagine how foolish one would have to be to insist on continuing on to Leipzig. The entire purpose of the journey is not to arrive at some city or another, but to acquire the intended merchandise.”
Reb Hillel’s intense glare then focused on the young man: “Why does one go to their rebbe, if not to draw spirituality and direction in avodas Hashem, and to strengthen himself in tefillah? The goal and purpose of heading to Lubavitch was to be uplifted. I ask you: if on the way there — right here in this inn — my davening is strong and inspired, should I dump the merchandise and run to ‘Leipzig’?”
Take It To Go!
When we set out to do a mitzvah, we usually have a picture in our mind of how it’s supposed to go. But sometimes, Hashem has a different plan. On the way, He puts something else in front of us, another chance to do His will, another way to reach the same goal in a different way. When that happens, it’s not a detour and it’s not a failure. It’s Hashem handing you exactly what you were looking for — you get the same wares for below-market prices!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 59.
