Rav Yosef Yozel Hurwitz, the Alter of Novhardok


In wartime, the generals pore over maps to scrutinize tiny dots, each of which represents a river, a hill, or a valley.  In this way they decide where to advance and where to retreat, where to dig in and which places to avoid.  On the basis of the study of this map a battle is waged.  But an ignorant person who came into the map room would be amazed to see the chiefs of staff studying tiny dots and would think them foolish for doing so.


The map of life is the Torah.  Some ignorant people think the Torah contains insignificant points; they don’t understand that each point is critical.  Spiritual gains and conquests are impossible with deep study of every letter, tag, and hint in the Torah.


From Sparks of Mussar by R Chaim Ephraim Zaitchik