I walked into a Seforim store in Yerushalayim a few months ago and noticed a large section of paper goods in the place where the bentchers used to be. Surprised at the strange mix, I asked the owner about this. He told me that within two days all the seforim will be returned to the distributors and the entire store will sell only paper goods. He lamented that he couldn't make a living selling seforim and that paper goods were more popular. Everyone is entitled to earn a living and I felt sorry for him and wished him much Hatzlacha. Nevertheless the irony of the situation really struck me. I once heard a story and although I have forgotten the exact details the general idea went something like this. Someone came to a great Rov to get his haskama on his new sefer that he just finished writing. The sefer was not impressive to say the least, yet the Rov wrote a warm haskama, saying that this sefer will be "Machzir Atara L'Yoshna", return the crown to its original form. His talmidim were very surprised that he gave a haskama at all, let alone write such beautiful prose. He quipped as follows. Paper is made from worthless scraps of tree. Once it becomes paper it has potential to become very valuable depending what you write on it. This Michaber, explained the Rov, took good paper and returned it to its original form. It used to be paper but now once again has become worthless scrap. He was Machzir Atara L'Yoshna! When you buy a sefer, you are buying more than a collection of papers, you are buying a piece of eternity. Open it up and read a few lines and it has potential not only to change your whole life, but it will earn you a piece of eternity as well. One of my high school rebbeim would always say in a sad tone when mentioning a classic sefer, "in days gone by it was on top of the best seller list". Paper goods by contrast are the polar opposite of a sefer and the clearest sign of the times. In Eretz Yisroel it is called "Chad Pa'ami" or one time use. Use it once and throw it away. Instant gratification at its best. Our interest in things that last has disappeared. We care about here and now. Our paper is used to quench our immediate thirst or desire to eat. We don't even clean it for next time. We can worry about that then. "Az Yiraninu Kol Atzei Ya'ar" (Tehilim 96:12). When Moshiach comes all the trees of the forest will sing shira. Only then will the trees once again be put to good use. We long for the arrival of Moshiach to truly be, "Machzir Atara L'Yoshna". | 
printable version
