The Shouting Shepherd

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. - Deuteronomy 6:4-5

A tzaddik once heard that there was a shepherd who, though unlearned, was known for his particular rapport with God. Since Proverbs teaches that wisdom may be found anywhere to those who know how to look, the tzaddik immediately made for the area the shepherd was known to frequent, hoping to discover some means to improve his own relationship with the Lord God.

Soon, he spied the shepherd from a distance. The shepherd was watching over his sheep but he seemed to talking to himself. Moving closer, the tzaddik discovered to his surprise that the shepherd was shouting toward heaven.

“Master of the world!” he shouted, “You are so great and marvelous! I stand in awe of your creation! I have nothing to offer you. I am poor and uneducated. But I do have the horn that I use to call my sheep. I will play it for you!” He proceeded to blow with all his might until he fell down exhausted and out of breath.

After a few minutes, he recovered his energy and once again called out, “Great Lord! I am just a simple shepherd. I only know a few shepherd songs but I will sing them for you!” He then sang lustily the few songs he knew until he was once again exhausted.

Once again, he recovered his strength and shouted “Mighty God! I have played my horn and I have sung all the songs I know. I have nothing left to offer but a couple ridiculous tricks. I know they are not worthy of you, but they are all I have. Please receive them to your glory.” He then jumped onto his head, and while doing a hand stand waggled his feet in the air. After a couple moments, he began to do somersaults over and over.

The tzaddik moved away from the area, overcome with awe at the shepherd’s approach to God. The holy man was certain that the Lord God was well pleased with the shepherd’s gifts. Not because of their intrinsic worth, but because of the love and the passion that went into them.

Each of us has some small gift to offer our King. Moses had nothing but a stick. But God used that stick to bring Egypt to its knees and to liberate an entire nation from bondage. Esther had her beauty. Abraham had nothing but blind obedience. What’s important is not the greatness of our gifts, our abilities, our talents or our resources. What is important is the motive: the humility, gratitude and service that drive the act of giving. An all-consuming desire to please Yahweh, to serve Him with all our heart soul and strength is the greatest gift we can give Him.