Fair warning: this is going to start out a bit preachy. I promise you it gets better!

When I was younger, there was an oft-told mashal (parable) about a family that lived in desperate poverty. 

The family heard tell of a faraway land where the streets were littered with diamonds. They decided that the husband would undertake the arduous trek to save their family, though it would mean that he would be away for years. 

After months and months of navigating his way, he arrived to find that the stories, if anything, had undersold this magical destination. The land glistened with diamonds everywhere. The roads were paved with them. The buildings were constructed from them. The whole city shimmered like a royal palace. 

His eyes wide and mouth agape at his good fortune, the eager man wasted no time in dumping the ragged contents of his suitcases so that he could use every nook and cranny to bring the jewels back home and share his newfound riches with family and friends. 

As he began scooping the treasures into his bags, passersby began looking at him as if he were crazy. “Sir,” one of them asked. “May I ask what in the world you are doing?”

“I’m collecting diamonds to take home to my poor family! These will allow me to fill the hungry stomachs of my children and provide for my family for the rest of our lives,” he explained. 

The onlookers began to laugh. “Those won’t be anything but trouble,” they replied. “They’re worthless! As you can see, they are everywhere, so they have no value. If you’re looking for something truly precious, you should search for stones. Those are the truly rare and valuable commodities!”

The man thought them crazy and continued gathering diamonds, only to have similar conversations repeatedly with other locals. 

Finally, the man began to second-guess himself: “Perhaps during my long journey I forgot my true mission. Maybe I was supposed to gather rocks rather than diamonds! I had better dump these shiny, worthless baubles and search for stones.”

That search took time. Precious objects are not so easily found. But after many months of searching through mountains and caves, the man managed to fill a suitcase. He bade the townspeople farewell, and set off for home, anxious to see the faces of his wife and children when he revealed the bounty he had brought.

At long last, he reached his little town. Dragging his bag to the door with his last ounce of strength, he knocked and entered. The enthusiastic crowd greeted him with warm embraces, smiling from ear to ear when he told them he had returned with unimaginable treasure. 

In great haste, he opened the suitcase, and rocks began to fall to the floor. He........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)