Faith

At the end of days before the coming of Redemption, G-d shall take a string, a “string of faith,” and stretch it around the world. Many a man will attempt to grab that string and to hang onto it. However, G-d will appoint two angels to hold the string at both ends, instructing them to shake it violently as the final days draw near. It will become increasingly difficult to maintain a grasp on the string, and as the years go by, many will slip and fall. I am telling you this, my brothers, so that those living at that time will know, and take heed. (Reb Yisroel, The Rizhiner- 1797-1850)
Are you holding onto the string?
When you really want something you’ll hold on tight until you get it. If you feel yourself falling you can’t just give up and let go, but you must hold on even tighter and help out others.
There was once a boy who left his house walked to the corner and then back to his house and then to the corner and back to his house. He did this over and over again. A man sitting on his porch saw this little boy and asked him, “What are you doing? Why are you walking back and forth?” The boy looked at him and said, “I’m running away from home but I’m not allowed to cross the street by myself.”
We believe in G-d and know that He only does what is good for us. Sometimes it’s hard to see- we look at the world and say, look at them they can do what they want. At times when we may want to ‘run away’, when you get to the big street- the world- remind yourself that you are not allowed to cross. We have our rules and regulations, we are not supposed to cross the street because G-d knows what is best for us to do and he told us not to cross.
We have an instruction book to follow. Try assembling something brand new without reading the instructions. The instructions tell you how to start and what to do next in order that everything gets set up perfectly the way it should be.
Someone once told me – “You Jews are amazing- you all have rules to follow and you follow them. If everyone in the world would have rules and really follow them the world would be such a good place.”
An aerialist went on a tight rope across Niagra Falls. He came down and everyone was cheering for him. A man at the other end handed him a barrel and said “I want to see you do that again but pushing this barrel.” The aerialist said he does not want to, he is not up to doing that. The man said that he believes in him and he has faith that he can do it, go for it, try it…. They argue back and forth and finally the tight rope walker says “Ok if you really believe in me and you really want me to do it, you go into the barrel.”
Do we really believe? Are we ready to go into the barrel?
No one said life is meant to be easy. Don’t let go of the string, you never know how many people watch and admire everything that you do. If you let go others may follow. If everyone does their job to never let go of the string the angels will not be able to hold it anymore and they’ll just have to give in.

Never compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.” Help to make the world a better place one person at a time.