The Birth of a Son Produces Mitzvot
On one of my trips to London, a man far from Torah and mitzvot approached me. He reminded me that one year earlier, I had blessed him with children and, Baruch Hashem, the blessing materialized, and he was now the father of a baby boy. He wished to thank me for my blessing.
“Do you think that I deserve thanks?” I asked.
“Certainly,” he replied.
But I would not let go so fast. “Think well. Am I the one who provided you with a child?”
Finally, the man understood my intention. “You’re right,” he agreed. “But, after all, you are the one who prayed for me.”
“And to Whom did I pray?” I pressed on.
“To Hashem.”
“If that is the case, where does Hashem fit into the picture? How are you demonstrating to Him your thanks for the wonderful gift He bestowed upon you?”
“I thought of donating a large amount to the needy,” he replied.
I was not satisfied. “But what will you give to %Hashem*?” I urged.
He thought for a few moments, and then, in all innocence, asked me, “What can I give Hashem? Does He need money?”
“No, of course not. The way to repay Hashem is by means of observing Torah and mitzvot, tefillin, Shabbat, etc.”
“But I don’t observe mitzvot!” he cried.
For a moment, I was at a loss. But I quickly regained my composure and told the man the following, “Although you do not, as of yet, observe Torah and mitzvot, you must know that Hashem granted you a son, and He is the One deserving of thanks.”
These words of truth pierced his heart. He accepted upon himself the yoke of Torah and mitzvot.
