The Nechoma Greisman Anthology
Section 7: MESHOLIM Follow the recipe strictly, without adding, subtracting, or exchanging any ingredients...
The Parable of the Omelet
(Translated from Oholei Chana)
There was once a poor waiter who served in the king's palace. His job was to
bring in all the delicious food from the kitchen to the king. As he worked, he would
take note of all the mouth-watering and aromatic dishes which had been prepared
for the king. Now, when the waiter came home in the evening, tired and hungry from
a long day's work, he would sit down to his meal of coarse bread and salad, and
a little something extra, from time to time.
One day, our waiter came home with a brilliant plan: "My wife," he announced.
"I've had enough of eating salad every night. I want you to prepare something really
tasty for me tonight, like the king eats. Since I am in the king's kitchens so much,
I know all the recipes well. Now I want you to make me a delicious omelet."
The woman sighed. "Tell me how to prepare an omelet, and if I have all the ingredients,
I will certainly make one for you immediately."
"Two eggs, sugar, milk, butter, white flour..."
His wife stopped him in mid-speech: "One minute!" (rega, rega! in Israel),
she said. "You yourself know that we haven't had sugar for a month, and butter for
even longer. And we have only brown flour..."
Her husband became angry, "What do I care? That's your business! I'm hungry,
so do the best you can. I'm waiting!"
The woman looked at her husband in surprise, but then she went quietly into the
kitchen. After a few minutes she returned with a plate. On the plate was --
well, an omelet, although it would be difficult to describe it exactly. Her husband
looked at it, and then, holding his nose, he took a small taste... He jumped up
from his chair in anger, spat the "omelet" on the floor, and shouted, "I asked you
for an omelet. What you gave me is nothing like the omelets they make for the king.
What did you do? Didn't I give you the exact recipe?"
In this world, there are many people who observe the lives of religious families
and feel jealous. They see the beauty of Shabbos, for example, and how it unifies
a family, and takes people out of their mundane routine. They also decide to keep
Shabbos (or, at the very least, not to interfere with those members of the family
who want to keep Shabbos). However, for some reason, their efforts are unsuccessful.
As one man put it, "I don't keep Shabbos anymore because when I was young Shabbos
was a day of 'Don't do this,' 'Don't do that.' 'This is forbidden,' 'That is forbidden.'
My parents would tell me that I may not ride my bicycle, I may not write, or tear...
Forbidden, forbidden forbidden." Other families light candles, make kiddush
on wine, and do everything like Bubby and Zaide, only they light at 8 p.m., or they
only drive to the beach, or only smoke, or only...My friends, if we want our
"omelet" to be just like the king's omelet, with the same taste and aroma and appearance,
it must be prepared exactly like the king's omelet -- with all
the right ingredients, in the correct quantities, just as they should be without
using brown flour instead of white flour. Otherwise, it is clear that the omelet
will not be an omelet. Anyone who wants the tranquillity and sanctity and beauty
of Shabbos, along with the family harmony it brings, must follow the recipe strictly,
without adding, subtracting, or exchanging any ingredients!
(Obviously, this parable can be presented and explained in many different ways,
according to the audience, their age, background, etc.) |
