From: Zalmen Marozov 

bs"d.
                                 Thursday, Sivan 24, 5758 / June 18, 1998

The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi was so holy that Elijah the
prophet (Eliyahu HaNavi) would reveal himself to him.  One time, Rabbi
Yehoshua said to Elijah, "I would like to accompany you so that I can see
what you do in this world."   Elijah refused, saying, "I cannot fulfill
your request because you will witness many things which will seem very
strange to you because you will not understand them."  Yet, Rabbi Yehoshua
ben Levi insisted that he wanted to go with Elijah.

"You can come with me on the condition that you do not question my actions.
 Should you question what I'm doing we will have to part."  Rabbi Yehoshua
agreed and they started out.  In the evening, they came to the hut of a
poor couple.  All they had was one cow. Still, they accepted the guests
with wonderful hospitality.   During the night, Rabbi Yehoshua saw that
Elijah prayed that the cow should die.

"How could you do this to these wonderful people?  Is this how you pay them
back for their hospitality?" Rabbi Yehoshua asked Elijah.  "You promised
not to ask any questions," Elijah reminded Rabbi Yehoshua.

The next day they continued traveling.  In the evening, they came to the
home of a very wealthy man.   The home was a mansion and the rich man was
busy building an extension.  In contrast to the poor people the night
before, the rich man didn't offer  any food nor lodging.   During the
night, Elijah asked Hashem to send angels to finish building the rich man's
house.  Rabbi Yehoshua was puzzled!  Why was Elijah so generous to this
rich miser?  Yet, he remembered not to ask any questions.

The next day, they came to a community of simple working people.  Upon
seeing the two distinguished travelers, the
townspeople  treated them with great honor and couldn't do enough for them.
 Before parting, Elijah blessed the people and then said to them, "May G-d
bless you that you have only one leader".  In the next town they came to,
people were mean and unkind. Before parting, Elijah said to the
townspeople, "May it be the will of Hashem that all of you be leaders!"

At this point, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi couldn't restrain himself.
"Everything you did so far does not make any sense," he said to Elijah.
"Although I know that I will not be able to continue with you, I must ask
you to explain your actions".  Elijah replied, "There is very good reason
for everything I have done."

"How come you were cruel to the poor couple?  They were so good to us, yet
you prayed that their cow should die!" asked Rabbi Yehoshua.   Elijah
replied, "I knew that the woman was to pass away that night.  Therefore I
prayed to G-d to take the cow instead!"

"Why did you save the rich miser the cost of building his house?" asked
Rabbi Yehoshua.  "A great treasure was hidden where the rich man was
building.  Had he continued digging he would have found it.  I prayed to
Hashem to send His angels to complete the house to prevent him from finding
the treasure.  However, the structure won't last for long and in the end,
he will not have either."

"Why were you unkind to the nice people by wishing  them to have only one
leader; while you blessed the people of the other community  that they
should all be leaders?" Rabbi Yehoshua persisted.

"You are making a mistake," answered Elijah.  "Wishing the townspeople to
have one leader is a blessing, while wishing that all others be leaders is
truly a curse!  A community who has one leader will prosper and flourish
while a community where everyone is a leader will continuously quarrel and
fight".

Thus, although not everything in life may make sense to us, it is
comforting to know that everything has a reason.

              HAVE A VERY GOOD, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY


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