A Seeing Eye and a Hearing Ear
When I was a young boy, I once came home from a friend’s house. “David,” my father began, “where were you these past few hours?”
“I was visiting at so-and-so’s home,” I replied.
“And what did you do there?” he continued.
“We reviewed the Torah lesson that we had learned this morning.”
The truth was, I hadn’t been with my friend at all. I had been visiting my sister, where I spent the time playing checkers with her husband. When I was a kid, checkers was my favorite hobby. I have grown up since then and, today, my hobby is Torah study.
My father must have known where I had spent my day, because he pressed further. He asked what we were studying, how far we had gotten, and similar questions. At some point, I realized that he knew the truth. My stories were getting me more and more tangled up, until I could no longer restrain myself.
“Father,” I cried in desperation. “You know exactly where I was these past few hours. Why, then, are you interrogating me like this?”
With his great wisdom, my dear father replied, “I just want to teach you not to be a wise guy with Hashem. If you sat and learned, you may say so. But if you were busy with other things, do not speak falsehood.”
Know what is above you: A seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all of your deeds are recorded in a book.
