A Fruitful Lesson
As I was about to leave a country abroad, a friend offered me two unique fruits as a parting gift. I was pleased with these fruits, which were, indeed, wonders of Creation. I decided to save them to share with my family upon my homecoming.
We enjoyed one of the fruits on Shabbat and saved the second for a later date. We did not want to act like gluttons by partaking of both fruits in the same sitting. I ended up offering this fruit to someone else. I felt we had had enough pleasure from the first one.
After giving away the second fruit, I felt a sense of gratitude to Hashem for everything He created. I felt that by overcoming my desire for gastronomic delights, I had sanctified myself with an additional level of kedushah.
When a person denies himself a physical pleasure, he automatically attains greater holiness. He epitomizes the Torah’s command, as quoted by Rashi (Devarim 14:21): “Sanctify yourself in that which is permitted to you.”
