By Roiza D. Weinreich
I remember when my parents, of blessed memory, once joined us up in Plainville, New York for a visit, we wanted to show them something very pretty – but it was a twenty-minute walk uphill. All of the family’s generations were there – my husband and myself, our children and grandchildren who were much younger in those days, and my parents.
My mother was a very courageous lady, someone who didn’t think she had limitations. However, about five minutes before we reached the summit, my mother said, “Kinderlech, I can’t go any further. I don’t want to ruin your trip. Nothing will happen to me.” She then sat herself down on a tree stump and said, “Go ahead, don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine here, and then you’ll come and pick me up on the way back.”
I stood there hesitating, not knowing what to do because I didn’t feel comfortable about leaving my mother there. Meanwhile, my children ran ahead and started to call out, “We’re here! We’re here! We see the view; it’s beautiful! We’re here!” When my mother heard them saying that, she realized that it really is very close. She got up, walked just that extra little bit, saw this absolutely beautiful view – it’s called “The Catskill Mountain House View,” and she told me that it was worth the trip.
Now, this is a parable to help us understand where we are now. Twenty-five years ago, the Lubavitcher Rebbe said, “We are here! Geula is here!” I guess he walked more quickly than the rest of us. In the last twenty-five years, so many other tzaddikim, who apparently didn’t walk as quickly as the Rebbe, got to the top and they too said, “We are here! Geula is here!”
Therefore, it must be very close, and we just have to get there by doing that extra little bit. However, we’re not going to get there by sitting on a tree stump. Everyone has to think of something, that extra little something you can do. When we think we have to do something grand, we say that we can’t. But when we think that we’re almost there and it’s just a couple of more steps of growth, then we can.
Moshiach Now! ■
* Transcribed from a widely circulated recorded message by Mrs. Weinreich. Mrs. Weinreich is a noted inspirational speaker and author of several books, including the popular A gift for teens: Ideas and stories to keep you going when you’re happy and pick you up when you’re down, published by Mesora – ArtScroll