The Rebbe responded with a parable: “When one takes a stroll down the street, one sees lovely houses, green lawns, flowery trees, paved roads and shiny cars. But when one takes a hoe and digs beneath the surface he exposes nothing but dirt and more dirt. The surface beauty is all gone.”
Not realizing where the Rebbe was heading with this, the professor found himself nodding in agreement. The Rebbe was actually affirming his point.
“But,” the Rebbe continued. “If one were not to give-up so quickly and continue digging even deeper, you know what he is likely to find? Water, minerals, perhaps even diamonds.” To encounter the inherent goodness in man one must be willing to dig a little deeper.
Shavuos – The Deeper Self
A professor once lamented to the Lubavitcher Rebbe about the depravity of human nature. “While most people,” argued the academic, “seem very nice and charming (politically correct) on the outside, beneath the surface we all tend to share the same ugly essence. We are all selfish, arrogant, and egotistical. Why should the intrinsic character of man be so abhorrent?”
The Rebbe responded with a parable: “When one takes a stroll down the street, one sees lovely houses, green lawns, flowery trees, paved roads and shiny cars. But when one takes a hoe and digs beneath the surface he exposes nothing but dirt and more dirt. The surface beauty is all gone.”
Not realizing where the Rebbe was heading with this, the professor found himself nodding in agreement. The Rebbe was actually affirming his point.
“But,” the Rebbe continued. “If one were not to give-up so quickly and continue digging even deeper, you know what he is likely to find? Water, minerals, perhaps even diamonds.” To encounter the inherent goodness in man one must be willing to dig a little deeper.
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