Daf Yomi Bava Kama 80
Mar bar Rav Ashi was once standing
in the Mechuza market when he heard someone prophesy, “The new Rosh Yeshiva (head
of the academy) in Mechasya signs his name: Tavyumi.”
“Hey, that’s me!” he said to himself
and off he went to Mechasya.
Meanwhile, they were about to
install Rav Acha of Difti as the Rosh Yeshiva.
When they heard Rav Ashi was in town, they sent a pair of rabbis to
confirm their decision. But he wouldn’t
let them leave and so the yeshiva sent another pair. Once again, he kept them from returning.
The yeshiva board kept sending pairs
of rabbis until they were ten in total.
At that point, Mar began expounding the law. Sure enough, they were so impressed that they
decided to install him as the Rosh Yeshiva, instead of Rav Acha.
Rav Acha bar Papa taught: A door of success that
closes does not quickly reopen.
The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of this
dictum?
Rashi explains the query: How hard must one
pray for the door to reopen?
Rav Ashi answers: When one experiences
challenges to success, it’s not easy to reopen closed doors and reignite the
good fortune.
Rav Acha of Difti answers: One never again receives
good fortune.
The Gemara responds: That’s not true! Rav Acha of Difti was talking merely about
his personal experience.
Often in life the door to a successful opportunity will
close in our faces. We wish, we hope, we
pray that it will reopen and we’ll get another chance. But, as the Gemara teaches, a closed door
doesn’t reopen very easily. Rav Acha
spent his whole life praying that the door to the Rosh Yeshiva position would
reopen, but alas, to no avail; causing him to conclude that once the door to
success has slammed shut, one’s good fortune in life is over.
But the Almighty has no shortage of doors to open for
you. When He closes one door, it’s
because He knows that it’s not the best path for your life. Sure, you could wish, and hope, and pray for
that door to reopen. But it won’t reopen
very easily, and Hashem is effectively telling you that He has better doors to
open in your life. Instead of focusing
all your attention on this one opportunity that He knows is not your destiny,
start expanding your horizon to see which new doors He is holding open for
you!
How many times do we look back and realize that the doors
that closed were the best thing that could have happened to our lives? Partners that were not for us. Jobs that were going nowhere. Investment opportunities that ended up
mediocre. At the time, those closed door
seemed like the worst punishment. You
were so disappointed. You felt like all
your efforts were for naught. And now,
looking back and thinking about the alternate doors that opened, you can’t
believe you were ever so fixated on that single opportunity!
Unfortunately, Rav Acha of Difti spent the rest of his life
trying to pry open a door that the Almighty knew wasn’t the right destination
for his personal mission. Meanwhile, who
knows how many other doors to success he failed to notice had opened all around
him?
When one door closes, trust in Hashem to open many more
doors. May the wrong doors in your life
close as quickly as possible and may you recognize the right doors to
enter!
