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Amidst the Doom and Gloom . . .
Someone owned a very strong and quick horse, and the proud owner fed it well and took good care of it. But eventually, the horse became old and its upkeep was costly. Nevertheless, the owner felt a sense of gratitude toward the horse, so he continued feeding it and caring for it.
One day, the horse fell into a very deep pit and couldn’t get out. The owner thought it was an opportune time to put the end to his horse and began shoveling dirt into the pit to bury it. The horse looked up with pleading eyes, wondering why his owner was throwing earth over him. But the owner didn’t pay attention to his horse’s plea and kept tossing in earth. As the pit filled up with earth, the horse climbed on top of that earth, and slowly, slowly it was raised until it was able to leave the pit.
There are circumstances in life that seem negative, and sometimes we feel that someone is trying to bury us alive, or that circumstances spell certain doom. Ultimately, however, we grow from all those hardships, as everything is planned only for our benefit.
(Torah Wellsprings: July 2022)
Published in General
I’ve heard many versions of this story, mishap after mishap. Sometimes life seems to unfold in that way; at other times, we free ourselves from the limitations of our perceptions. Thanks, Joshua.
Except, of course, the owner WAS trying to bury the horse alive. The story says so, directly.
I understand why mothers drown their babies.
Maybe the story means that when you are down and vulnerable it helps that those trying to keep you down are idiots.
They may be idiots, but they have police forces, and jails…
I think the message of this story is that we never know what’s bad for us or good for us in life. It is somewhat reminiscent of the message in the connect-the-dots speech of Steve Jobs.
Boston Police officer Frank Pomodoro and his mount, Fritz, after falling in a construction hole in 1989.
Credit: Curtis Ackerman, Boston Herald photo