A Year of Stories #42: Trimming the Hedge

R' David Zaslow told this story during the 
R' Zalman Legacy Shabbaton in Ashland, OR two weeks ago.  

Priceless.




R' David: True story – Boulder, 2000. At a Friday morning service in Boulder, CO. Rabbi Twersky from Denver and his team were leading davvenen getting ready for a shabbaton they were leading that weekend. Reb Twersky and Rabbi Zalman were standing at the window and chatting during the early part of the davvenen. They were chatting and pointing outside while watching a gardener trim the overgrown hedges. 

Reb Zalman comes back to me and says, “Duvid Leibyn, do you want to know what we said to each other.” I replied, “Yes, of course!”

Reb Twersky: Zalman, do you see those hedges after they have been trimmed? They look very bad, don’t they? That's what happens when you trim too much.

Reb Zalman: Sure, for a while they won’t look so great, but do you see the hedges that haven’t been trimmed?

Reb Twersky: Yes, I see them.

Reb Zalman: Well, do you know what happens when they don’t get trimmed? They get so overgrown they choke themselves, and they won’t live much longer.

Rabbi Twersky looked over at Reb Zalman telling me the story. He smiled at me from across the room, shaking his head, and shrugging his shoulders as if to say, “Reb Zalman’s got a point!”

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