The Farmer's Message | Rabbi Avi Wiesenfeld

Shloime was a Mashgiach in Shoresh, a small Kibbutz, here in Eretz Yisroel. And he made a daily Minyan for Mincha for the members of the Kibbutz. One day, they were stuck. They had nine people for the Minyan and they were missing a tenth. So Shloime runs outside, looking for someone to complete the Minyan, and he sees a farmer, a totally irreligious farmer. And he goes over and he says, Would you like to complete our Minyan? Minyan? What's a Minyan? So he starts explaining, ten people, davening together. The farmer says: Sure, no problem. Of course, I'll help you. He comes inside, they're about to start the Minyan, and all of a sudden, the tenth religious man walks into the Minyan. The farmer sees that he's no longer needed, he walks out. A number of months later, Shloime has a dream. It's the farmer. His face is glowing. He said that he died a month ago. But he said: I want to tell you something. The zchus that I had to be able to even agree to be part of the Minyan, even though I didn't even daven with you guys, was so powerful, they allowed me to come back and tell you the following message. Please, go to my son. He's not religious. But ask him to say Kaddish for me. What a powerful thing. I receive phone calls and emails from around the world. What can I do for Shmiras Einayim? What can I do to help watch my eyes? One of the pieces of advice that I give, generally, is We don't realize how powerful they are. The very fact that this farmer tried to daven with a Minyan, even though he wasn't successful in the end, he didn't daven with a Minyan, but he wanted to, in Shomayim meant everything. The small successes that you have, to turn away, not to press, not to look, is the most incredible celebration. And in Shomayim it's celebrated more than we can imagine. As the Vilna Gaon tells us, For every single second, that a person withholds from doing an Aveira, he's zoche to the most tremendous light. Yes, we’re living in a world with temptations, wherever we go, whatever we do, but the smallest success, if we can push off, if we can try not to look, if we can try not to press, even if it's just for a few moments, even if we're not successful in the end, that trying is worth everything in Shomayim.