What the Rav said:
A person just needs one word of encouragement.
The moment someone tells him, you are strong, he becomes even stronger.
If only I would have heard words from someone, you are strong, come and pray, get up at midnight… Some word of encouragement from someone…
Rabbenu said: I served Hashem alone, I didn’t have one friend. If anyone would have said to me, you are strong, the Rebbe said I would have been many times greater than what you see now.
The whole time we need to give others only words of encouragement.
Tell a person, you are strong, and he’ll rise up.
My thoughts:
Sometimes, we’re so focussed on our own struggle, that we forget there are others around us, also struggling with their own particular struggles.
It doesn’t matter how great, or how lowly, a person appears to us to be.
Everyone needs encouragement.
The Rav explained how he really yearned for some encouragement. Rabbi Nachman tells us how much more he could have achieved if someone would have given him an encouraging word.
Kal v’chomer – all the more so – to those who are not so great. You and me, who struggle just to get out of bed in the morning.
If we can make an effort to just say one word of encouragement to one person, once a day (or perhaps at least once a week), imagine how we could change the world!