Don’t Wash Your Hands of It
A man related that he was diagnosed with cancer. His doctors recommended chemotherapy, a difficult and drawn-out process, which would take about six months.
I asked this man if he was scrupulous in washing his hands every morning, upon awakening. He replied in the negative. I instructed him to take this practice upon himself. The spirit of impurity which clings to a person who does not wash his hands can be extremely harmful. The man accepted my words and undertook to keep this mitzvah.
After some time, the man returned to me and ebulliently informed me that, Baruch Hashem, his tumor was noticeably reduced, and his doctors told him he could forego the difficult treatments.
Often, we regard regular, daily mitzvot as simple and worthless. Infrequent, rare mitzvot are granted our esteem and admiration. But this is a serious mistake. It is specifically the mitzvot which one “treads with his heel” which have the power to effect miracles, for their merit is immeasurably great.
