A Single Piece of Straw | Rabbi Yehoshua Abba Busel

We're holding now in the beginning of a new year of Avodas Hashem. I one time heard in the name of a Tzaddik what's the proper Kavanah and Hisbonenus a Yid is supposed to have in the morning, as a preparation for a new day of Avodas Hashem. He should think about, he should be Misbonen, about the four Mah’s, the four Psukim that have the word Mah. And he brought it out with a Mashal. There was a big king, that from time to time, used to go on a hunting trip. And his servants used to pack everything and anything that he may possibly need, he may possibly want, on this hunting trip. Now in middle of his hunting trip, he had a desire, he wanted to smoke his pipe. Right away, the servants brought his pipe and his tobacco. The problem was that the pipe was stuffed up. The way to unstuff the pipe was with a small piece of straw. And that was the one thing that the servants forgot to pack. Right away, the servants spread out on the surrounding area to see if they could find some straw. They come back to the king and tell him that they found a farmer that has a whole wagonload of straw. The problem is he doesn't want to give anything away. He needs it for his animals. So the king said, Call me this farmer. I want to speak to him. The farmer comes to the king and the king says, I'm willing to pay you $10 for one small piece of straw that's worth a few pennies. And the farmer refused. The king said: I'm willing to pay you $1,000. And once again, the farmer refused. So the king said: $10,000. And once again, the farmer, the fool, he refused. Finally, the king tells the farmer, Let's think for a second. Who are you and who am I? You, you're a lowly farmer, a peasant. Who am I? I'm the king. I'm the king of the entire country. And what am I asking from you already? All I'm asking for is a small piece of straw. How much am I willing to pay you for this piece of straw? $10,000. How could you be such a Mechutzaf and such a fool not to grant me my request? The Nimshal is, A person should think and be Misbonen, Who are we and who is the Aibishter? Who are we, that's the first Mah. What is man that You should remember him? We're a lowly flesh and blood. A ילוד אישה. And who's the Aibishter? How mighty is Your name in all the earth. And what's the Aibishter asking from us already? What does Hashem, your God, ask of you? Only to fear... Just that we should have Yiras Shomayim. And how much reward is the Aibishter going to pay us for this Yiras Shomayim? How great is Your goodness that You have laid away for those who fear You. So we have to be fools not to have Yiras Shomayim and not to properly be Oved the Aibishter.