Parshat Bechukotai: The Mouse and the Suit - Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair

once there was a tailor known far and wide as an artist who could take mere thread and turn it into a powerful fit for a king one day a wealthy merchant came to him with a special job while travelling in the East the merchant had purchased a bolt of pure café's silk the finest in the world the merchant had paid an enormous sum for it the tailor's eyes lit up never had he seen such fabric he took the merchants measurements and the price was set for the work the very next morning the tailor set to work with relish he worked with extra-special care trying not to waste a single thread a week a finger breaking labor followed it was about 2:00 in the morning that the tailor stitched the last button on to the suit he bit off the thread and sat back to admire his work here was a suit the like of which had never been seen he owned picked up his tired bones and made his way to bed the tailor left the room and closed the door then unable to resist he turned and opened the door just for a final peek he saw the suit they need in a shaft close the door with the soft click and then the sound of rustling - little dark eyes squinted out from a crack in the wainscoting a long furry nose twitched expectantly and a tiny mouse scuttled into the center of the room followed by another and another and another scores of mice came pouring out of the wainscoting all with a single objective since it was over all was left for a few pieces of cloth with telltale teeth marks when the tailor came down the following morning and saw what had happened he was distraught beyond words he stood in the middle of the workroom with tears welling up in his eyes and sighed an eternal sigh of resignation looking up he saw the businessman standing over him beaming with expectation with measured tones the tailor told him how he had worked so hard on his suit how it was a creation unmatched in all his years of tailoring of the long loving hours he devoted to it and finally what had happened the night but said the tailor I'd like you to pay me what we originally agreed because even though you don't have the suit I put my heart and soul into making it the business man's face turned puce it's enough I don't sue you for the price of the Cathy silk you you bungling oath stormed out of the house there's no job in the world that pays for effort alone even if you put your heart and soul into your work if you produce nothing and that's what you usually get with one exception learning Torah if a person puts his heart and soul into his burning he receives a reward even if he comes away with just the few tattered pieces of material where others have stitched the suit [Music] you [Applause]