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Thought for the Day: Shelo Asani Isha

I was telling my wife about an interesting story about R' Yonason Eibschutz (great story, for another time).  The story involves a man who was sincerely pious, but then got upset when he got r'vi'i (the fourth aliyah) on Yom Kippur.  At that point my wife stopped me and asked, in all innocence and sincerity, "What's is there to get upset about?  Any aliyah is chashuv!  Every word of Torah is chashuv."  (That's the problem with my wife, she listens to what I say and reminds me at the most inopportune times...)  I started to explain how some aliyahs are considered more chashuv than others, and how he felt slighted, and... and....  My voice sort of trailed off as I realized she was absolutely right.  I couldn't explain why the man got upset precisely because there was no cause at all for him to be upset.  In fact, he should have been thrilled beyond words to have been called up the to torah on Yom Kippur for any aliyah.  In fact, we Jewish men should be thrilled beyond words just because we can get aliyos, daven from the amud, and even be counted in the requisite quorum to allow the recital of d'varim sh'b'k'dusha!  It took my wife, who does not have those opportunities (she has others, of course), to remind me of what I can be.  Thank you, honey; I'll daven a little better tomorrow because of you.
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