It Only Took Five Minutes

In Yeshiva, we often remind the boys about the exchange attributed to the Chasam Sofer and many others. When asked how long it took him to become a talmid chacham, he answered, "Five minutes." After the questioner asked bewildered how that would even be possible, he replied, "One becomes a talmid chacham by finding five minutes here and five minutes there. It is those 'free' few passing moments that some squander that others utilize to become Torah giants."

This morning, when one student came up to the Amud to lead Shacharis (which he thought he was supposed to yesterday in the absence of the Gabbai Rishon, but sensitively allowed another boy to lead when each were asked independently), he placed a Chumash beside the chazan's siddur ... for later. In those fleeting moments after his Shemone Esrei and Chazaras Ha'Shatz, there was this proud young man using those moments to become the very best version of himself there can ever be.