Who Knows? Just Maybe... - Monthly Gedolim Story

As we have now gotten deep into the month of Cheshvan, I wanted to find another Gadol Story to share with you. After a lot of thinking, I decided upon a story which originally appeared in Rabbi Yechiel Speros' book "Touched By A Story 3" about Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin zt''l, the Rav of Yerushalayim. 

The message the story captures is so simple, yet profound on all levels. It is a message that we can, and should take with us, every day of our lives, and you can be certain, now that I am about to share this story with you, I will definitely try my best to remember it that little bit more.

So, now I hope you will enjoy the story and relate in your own way to its timeless message.

All the Best,

Yitzy Schweitzer

Who Knows? Just Maybe... - Monthly Gedolim Story

The young man appointed to walk Rav Yehoshua Leib to shul waited patiently outside the Rav's home. After a few moments the door opened and Rav Yehoshua Leib, carrying his tallis and tefilin, emerged. But, instead of heading down the street towards the shul, he began to climb the stairs outside his home, one step at a time, until he reached the top. Rav Yehoshua Leib was already an elderly man; it would take much effort for him just to walk to shul. Why, then, was he climbing the stairs outside his home?

The scenario grew even stranger, for when Rav Yehoshua Leib reached the top of the steps, he seemed to be looking for something. No longer able to control his curiosity, the young man waited for the venerated sage to come back down and than asked him what he was looking for.

Rav Yehoshua Leib looked directly into the young man's impressionable eye, "You know, the first two Batei Mikdash, which were man made, had to be built during the day. But the third one will descended in a heavenly blaze - and that can happen even at night. I was just looking to see if it came down last night."

Then, the Rav added plaintively, "it didn't"

The stunned talmid did not move. He just stared in disbelief at his disappointed Rebbe who was already on his way to shul. After all, he still had much for which to daven.

The lesson I take from this story is to look at the incredible and unimaginable amount of Emunah, with which Rav Diskin lived. He had such a strong faith in the coming of Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, he went to check if it had emerged. Of course, sadly, it didn't and still many years later, it hasn't.

When will it be? We don't know. But if we set aside some time every day to think about it, than maybe, just maybe, it will come just a little bit quicker.

Maybe all we need... is one more bit of hope...

Maybe it is coming right now...