Dr. Mitzvah was tired. It had been a long day. He had taken care of two sore throats, a twisted ankle, three stitches in little Yochai’s knee, one sparrow with a broken wing, and a trip to the hospital to see how Mrs. Noodle’s new triplets were doing. In the afternoon, he was called to help shod a farmer’s horse after which he had hoped to mow his own lawn, but he felt it was time to rest. So he sat in his rocking chair while Mrs. Mitzvah ran to bring him a stool for his feet and a cup of tea.
“It’s not only today ” he answered. “I think I’m growing old. I never used to be so tired after a day’s work. I don’t even have the energy to smile. My happy frame of mind seems to have disappeared.” He sipped his tea and shook his head sadly.
“Maybe it’s the time of year. The Nine Days before Tisha B’Av are not a happy time. You’ll feel better after the fast. And of course you could work a bit less. Then you wouldn’t be so tired” said Mrs. Mitzvah.
“I can’t work less. If someone needs stitches or has an earache I can’t tell them to come back tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to take care of everything. Someone else can take care of the plants and the animals!” she insisted.
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