There was once an unfortunate fellow down on his luck. Yankel had no job and no means to support his large family. Dejected and downtrodden, he bemoaned his lot and dreamed of better days. "Soon I will experience a change in fortune," he proclaimed to one and all. The dream was there but the reality cruel woke him. He was penniless, his children were starving and there were no prospects that any change of fortunes in the offing.

Then one fine day a wandering stranger came to town. He informed the villagers of a wondrous, distant land overseas. Colourfully painting the utopian land, he described how diamonds and gems scattered the streets. A blissful country of happiness and prosperity, where riches and wealth were to gained for all who journeyed there.

Yankel sat listening entranced. Why this was the answer to all his problems! He needed no more convincing and announced his intentions to his family. They would have a hard time in his absence, but he reassured them that upon his return, all their misfortunes would cease. It would be a long, arduous trip there, but what else did he have to lose?

After many tired months of travelling and adventures, Yankel finally reached his destination. As he disembarked, glistering in the dirt were hundreds and hundreds of radiant diamonds.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Could this be a dream or was it real?

He immediately fell onto his knees. His hands run through the sand and dirt as he plucked up sparkling diamonds and gems from the ground. Instinctively, he began stuffed these precious stones into every pocket. He deposited them in the hem of his clothing and in every available pouch.

The local onlookers burst out in fits of laughter at the stranger's behaviour. "Why are you picking up these rocks?" they inquired in amazement.

"Why it's obvious," he answered indignantly offended by their ridicule. "Where I come from, the stones are priceless and worth a small fortune!" Yankel protested.

"But these pebbles have no meaning here" the locals replied with a wave of a hand. "We have more than we could possibly want of these rocks. You're wasting your time collecting these stones here. That is nothing but a fruitless venture!" they demanded.

"But I travelled so far to make my fortune," objected Yankel.

"Well, if you are seriously interested in commerce, know that on this island our prized asset is cheese. Excellent cheese is a rarity and is always in great demand" they retorted.

"I guess you must be right," muttered Yankel wary that he had never been the entrepreneurial type.

Taking this advice, Yankel stood up, emptied his pockets and embarked upon a career in the cheese trade. Surprisingly, he was extremely successful in this venture. When the time came for Yankel to leave the island, the successful cheese merchant boarded the ship home accompanied with his best stock - four large crates of the island's finest cheeses - to take with him on his voyage back home. He was sure that this would fetch a handsome price at his town back home.

The sea voyage back home was long and tortuous. The ship braved the huge waves of the treacherous ocean and fierce winds. On board the vessel, it did not take long for the cheese to spoil. The crew detested the foul odour, leaving Yankel with no choice other then to throw his merchandise overboard.

Broken-hearted, Yankel realized with horror that he was a pauper once again. Once the ship finally docked, he sadly trundled from the harbour to his town.

He was not a happy sight as he related his sad tale of woe to his disappointed wife.

"What!" she exclaimed angrily, "you wasted the opportunity to become wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, all in exchange for some lousy cheese that would go bad in no time at all".

Laundering Yankel's coat, however, she discovered several small stones caught in the hem of his clothing. When examining them, the couple discovered that these diamonds were worth an absolute fortune. They would not be poor! Nevertheless Yankel's wife was inconsolable.

"Woe is to us!" she exclaimed, "How could you have missed out? Think how much richer we would have been had you not selected the cheese over the diamonds! Think of how much wealth you passed over!"

* * * *

Every mitzvah is a diamond, a priceless gem. In the odyssey of man's life existence, mitzvah opportunities line the street. All encompassing, mitzvos are an integral part-and-parcel of our everyday encounters. Yet, as is typical in this world, most people pay scant attention to them. It is a tragedy that many people never free up any time to examine their true worth or value. These diamonds - whose value is that of eternity - are discarded, ridiculed and typically found lying cast aside in the dirt on the ground. The majority are unaware that these "diamonds are forever".

The secret of financial investment is to trade for that which may be now deemed cheap but where one realizes its true value. The question to ask is whether mitzvah observance is seen as a worthwhile venture or not? Will the Jew spend his limited life span on Earth to wisely invest his time and energy in the relentless pursuit of mitzvos that create an ever-lasting relationship to G-d? Or is man foolish enough to trade off that which is priceless for the temporary worth of a moment - a cheese - that is destined to vanish into oblivion, to become a distant memory?

Each one of us is Yankel in the story. Each one of us has the ability to invest for the future by concentrating our efforts to stuff our pockets full with mitzvos, so that once our souls return before G-d, we have a small fortune to show with our wares.

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