A New Perspective
If someone would ask me to characterize the most fundamental lesson of Mussar with a story I would relate the following: Rav Yechezkel Sarna was the Rosh Yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva [and a student of the great Ba'al Mussar Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel the Alter of Slabodka] was very old, ill and feeble. Nevertheless, one motzei Shabbos he insisted on going to the Beis Medrash in the Yeshiva for maariv. When he was on his way, it became clear that the students had already finished davening. The people with him told him that it is not worth the effort to climb all of the stairs to the "Beis".
He replied: Davening with a minyan is only a mitzva midirabbanan [a rabbinic mitzva]. Maariv is only [strictly speaking, according to the gemara in the fourth perek of brachos] optional. But to wish the boys a "shavua tov" is a mitzva midi'oraisa of "viahavta lirayacha kamocha".
He replied: Davening with a minyan is only a mitzva midirabbanan [a rabbinic mitzva]. Maariv is only [strictly speaking, according to the gemara in the fourth perek of brachos] optional. But to wish the boys a "shavua tov" is a mitzva midi'oraisa of "viahavta lirayacha kamocha".
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