All is Measured according to the Vessel

All is Measured according to the Vessel

Rabash

A father gives his young son

A penny a day.

If his love for his son grows,

And he wishes to make him happy

And give him five cents,

The child sees

That he has now received a larger gift.

Surely he will admiringly wish

To praise and thank

His father for that.

But if later on

His father chooses to give him

One penny as before,

His son will fill with anger at his father

For the smaller amount he has now received.

It follows that

Yesterday’s bonus

Was not enough to bring him closer.

Rather, by the father increasing his goodness,

The son has become farther from his father,

Since in his mind,

His father is obligated and must increase his gifts daily.