Emphasis Preaching Journal

"Our rabbis taught: The poor, the rich, the sensual come before the [heavenly] court -- They say to the poor: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he says: I was poor and worried about my sustenance, they would say to him: Were you poorer than Hillel? It was reported about Hillel the Elder that every day he used to work and earn one coin, half of which he would give to the guard at the House of Learning, the other half being spent for his food and for that of his family. One day he found nothing to earn and the guard at the House of Learning would not permit him to enter. He climbed up and sat upon the window, to hear the words of the living God from the mouth of Shemayah and Abtalion. They say that day was the eve of Sabbath in the winter solstice and snow fell down upon him from heaven. When the dawn rose, Shemayah said to Abtalion: Brother Abtalion, on every day this house is light and to-day it is dark, is it perhaps a cloudy day. They looked up and saw the figure of a man in the window. They went up and found him covered by three cubits of snow. They removed him, bathed, anointed him, and placed him opposite the fire and they said: This man deserves that the Sabbath be profaned on his behalf."

This story circulated orally for a millennium prior to being recorded in "The Tractate Yoma" chapter in The Talmud. The message emphasized the importance of providing youth with a religious education. As no student should ever suffer as Hillel did and certainly no child should be denied an education for lack of coin, this tale was repeated from generation to generation, maintaining the established practice of free education for all Jewish children.

Application: The good shepherd does not deny any of the sheep of his fold that which is needed for spiritual, physical, and emotional development.