Debt Forgiven, Prayer Earned
We were sitting together for our Shabbat afternoon prayers. It was one of those quieter weeks where many people went out of town, so we were still waiting for the last man to complete our minyan.
As we waited, one of the guys named Joshua turned to me and started a conversation. “What do you think about people and their growth?” he asked. I began sharing stories of people who had once felt disconnected from Judaism, but over time began embracing Torah and mitzvot more deeply.
Then he looked across the room, pointed to Martin, and asked, “What about him?” He continued, “I feel like he still has a way to go.”
And I answered, “Yeah, some people take longer and grow more slowly, but everyone moves at their own pace. Growth isn’t always about about keeping Shabbat. Sometimes, it’s about developing a deeper connection with Hashem.”
As the sun began to dip lower and we were running out of time to pray, I turned to Martin and asked, “What are we going to do about our tenth man?”
Without hesitation, Martin replied, “Rabbi, I’ll take care of it.”
Martin walked out the door, and a couple minutes later, he came back with a few of his friends. One of them wasn’t a regular attendee at shul, and to be honest, I was surprised to see him. Just the day before, I had called and invited him, and he told me he wouldn’t be able to make it.
I turned to Martin and asked, “What was your secret?”
Martin smiled and said, “That guy owes me money. I told him, ‘If you come pray today, I’ll forgive the debt.’”
I turned back to Joshua and said, "Do you see what I mean? Just because someone isn’t fully keeping Shabbat doesn’t mean they don’t have a deep love and connection to Hashem.” | 
