"Because You Are The Rebbe"

(Painting by Rabbi Elyah Succot)

"Why weren't you angry that I was late?" asked the Sudilkover Rebbe on the phone the next day.

"Because you are the Rebbe.", I answered.

I then explained to him that he need not apologize because I accepted the fact that there was a reason why Hashem wanted me to wait for him. While acknowledging the logic to my answer, the Rebbe responded that it still was not the proper way for a person such as himself to behave.

After I hung up the phone I understood the message behind his initial question. The message is that if we truly understood that everything is for a greater purpose and that everything is from Hashem then we would never get angry at anything at all; we would give every person the deference we give to a rebbe.