Haggadah-The Journey

The 5th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apt, the Ohev Yisrael. The Apter told the following parable: Two men came to the crossroads; one shows and an even road, the other a straight even road, to reach his destination. The first encountered many obstacles but at last arrived in the city. The second had smoothed journeying at first, but near the end of the road, he found no further passageway and was forced to return, wasting much time and strength.

The first traveler is the good man; he must evoke great energy to journey on the path of the upright but he can continue to his last day.

The second traveler is the man of evil. He reveres wealth and pleasure, and derives great enjoyment from them. But the day comes when he no longer takes delight in the larger accumulations of gold or in the heightened pleasures, and he knows not how to continue. To his dismay he discovers that the distance is too great for him to return to the high principles he cherished in his youth. (Esser Orot, page 123)