No Effort is Ever Lost | Rabbi Yehuda Zev Klein

The dynamic Mashpiah, R’ Issamar Ginzberg, shared this incredible story. He said, When I was growing up, we had many Shabbos guests. Anyone who needed a place for Shabbos was welcomed into my parents’ home. Many of them were Baalei Teshuva, and my father would ask them, What motivated you to become a Baal Teshuva? One time, my father asked a guest, Tell me, what's your story? And he shared this amazing story. I was once on an airplane, he said, and there was a Lubavitcher Bochur walking up and down the aisle, asking everyone, Excuse me, would you like to put on Tefillin? And he asked me, as well. And I said: No. I had no interest at the time. He continued down the aisle, asking every person, and I saw that not a single person agreed to put on Tefillin. But the boy did not give up. A few hours later, he went through the entire plane again, asking everyone again, Excuse me, would you like to put on Tefillin? And he asked me again, and again I said: No. And once again, no one on the plane agreed to put on Tefillin. So I decided if he comes back a third time, I would say: Yes. The poor guy, he was trying so hard. I figured I would do it just for him. But he never came back a third time. A few years later, I was somewhere else, and another Lubavitcher Bochur approached me and he asked me: Excuse me, would you like to put on Tefillin? And this time, I said: Yes. He told me no one had ever responded with such enthusiasm. But the truth is, I said yes to the boy on the airplane, all those years ago. I was still doing it for him. And today, I'm an observant Jew, only because of that Bochur on the airplane. We never know what our efforts can lead to. A father walks down the street with his children and something inappropriate passes by, and he looks away. And the children notice. They notice everything. We have no idea how far the ripple effect of our actions can go. You're driving with your family and you avoid certain places, even if it takes longer. Imagine the impact that has on your children. In his commentary on Avos, R’ Chaim Volozhiner quotes a pasuk in Mishlei. He who walks innocently is righteous, fortunate are his sons after him. He explains, The character traits that a person works hard to acquire, eventually, they become part of his DNA, and then he passes that on to his children. So if someone toils on Shmiras Einayim, those victories don't end with him. Fortunate are his sons after him. His children inherit that character trait with far less struggle. So no effort is ever lost. Every act of self-control, every time you choose what's right over what's easy, you are planting seeds. You may not see them sprout right away, but they are growing. That Bochur on the plane thought that he failed. No one put on Tefillin that day. But in Shomayim, it was a tremendous victory. One that would change a life forever and impact many generations to come.