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Yitzchak, son of Rav Shlomo, Rabbi of Vienna was once walking in a forest park on the outskirts of Vienna. He was immersed in thought, mentally reviewing his Talmud studies. He enjoyed these walks so that he could concentrate and clarify the finer points of his lessons.

On this particular day, Princess Wilhelmina, the king's only daughter, happened to be sitting in the park. She set her gaze upon him and was taken by his handsomeness and earnest appearance. Indeed he gave off an aura of purity and holiness. She went back to the palace and told her father that she saw the man whom she was going to marry.

The king was not happy about his daughter the princess, marrying a Jew. However, even though he was a king, he like most fathers couldn't say no to his only daughter. She was adamant. Of course the boy would have to be converted to christianity before the royal wedding.

One of the king's ministers, Dietrich of Zisheim, was friendly with the Rabbi and sent him a message warning him of what was brewing. When R' Shlomo got the message, his blood froze. Very soon, a royal servant would arrive, commanding him to bring Yitzchak to the palace. Refusal would mean death. In fact retribution would be taken on the entire Jewish community if the Rabbi disobeyed the king's edict. But how could he sacrifice his only son?

The Rabbi spoke to the head of the Jewish community who came up with a bold yet simple plan. "Let Yitzchak get married before the official royal messenger arrives. I suggest the wedding be held today."

Crazy as this seemed, it was their only hope - and it felt good to finally have hope.

Since Yitzchak was continually besieged by shadchanim (matchmakers) with prospective matches, all they needed to do was pick one and get married fast. After all, Yitzchak possessed many desirable personal attributes, in addition to being the Rabbi's son. Indeed shadchanim were continually showing up representing any number of girls - fine young ladies from prominent families with beauty, charm, wealth and education.

As it turned out, on that day, the well was dry. All the eligible young ladies were gone. Time was of the essence and it was running out. Finally Yitzhak's mother exclaimed, "I know! Yitzchak can marry our maid Bluma. She's single."

Bluma was an orphan. She did not possess lineage, beauty, education or wealth; but, she was single and Jewish and they were desperate. Bluma agreed, and the Rabbi quickly performed the chupa (wedding) ceremony. The next day, a royal messenger arrived with a letter for Rav Shlomo. After reading through the letter, he responded with mock surprise, "This is a great honor, but it must be some mistake. My son Yitzchak is a married man."

The palace investigated the matter and it was concluded that Yizchak was indeed lawfully wed. The royal wedding plans were officially dropped. A few weeks later, after they were out of danger, Yitzchak's mother went to Bluma and told her that since this marriage was contrived because of dire circumstances, she expected her to divorce her son so that they could all get on with their lives. Bluma would not hear of this.

The Rebbetzin then went to her son and said, "Yitzchak, you must put an end to this madness and give Bluma a divorce."

“No mother,” declared Yitzchak, “She is meant for me. There is no way under natural circumstances that an orphan girl and the Rabbi’s son would ever marry. It must be that Hashem (G-d) orchestrated this whole affair so that we would be joined together. Just as it was obvious that Chava (Eve) was the only woman for Adam, it is obvious that she is the only woman for me.”

“Yitzchak, are you mad? The greatest in the land are nothing compared to you, and you will stay tied to a homely maid?!”

“Yes,” Yitzchak answered, “I prefer to be tied to a maidservant who is beautiful in my eyes, rather than to humiliate a Jewish woman.”

It is said: At that moment, the Heavenly Tribunal judged that Yitzchak should be granted a great gift. Bluma bore Yitzchak several pairs of twins – all beautiful, kind and successful. From these twins came the famous Teomim (twins) family, one of the most prominent in recent Jewish history. To this day, descendants of this esteemed family are spread throughout the entire world.

The reason, the Mishnah answers, is to teach us that one who saves one life is as if he saved an entire world. One who destroys one life is as if he destroyed an entire world. Every individual is important and unique.

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

2. His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

3. His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father is overwhelmed and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her holiday presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and
favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, "Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D."

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing.

At the wedding Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

The Mishnah (Sanhedrin) asks: "Why was the world created with only one man?" When Hashem [G-d] created fish, He created zillions of fish at once. When Hashem created cows, He created zillions of cows at once. Why then did Hashem not create a world full of men and women all at once. Why then did G-d start creation with only one man?
The reason, the Mishnah answers, is to teach us that one who saves one life is as if he saved an entire world. One who destroys one life is as if he destroyed an entire world. Every individual is important and unique.

There once was an unlearned shepherd named Akiva who worked for the wealthy Kalba Savua. Kalba Savua's daughter Rochel recognized the fire that lie within Akiva and told him that she would marry him if he would learn in a Yeshiva and become a talmid chochem (Torah scholar). This was a daunting proposal for Akiva as he was 40 years old and completely unlearned. He must have recognized the fire that lie within her soul, for he agreed. He traveled off to attend a great yeshiva in another city.

The yeshiva regimen was overwhelming for him and after some time and frustrating effort, he couldn't take it any more and decided to leave. As he was leaving he happened to notice a rock that had a hole in it. The hole was made by drops of water that had fallen on the rock and eventually bore a hole right through it. Akiva pondered, "Did the first drop make any difference (in boring the hole)?" He reasoned that the first drop must have had some effect because if the first drop did nothing, then the second drop would have done nothing and the millionth drop would have done nothing. Obviously the first drop did something, although the effect was imperceptible, and the second drop also had an effect and so on and so forth till the water pierced the stone.

Akiva said, "If water can penetrate through a stone then Torah can penetrate my heart. The results may not be noticeable at first, but eventually." Akiva was infused with a new spirit to continue his studies and eventually became the famed Rebbi Akiva, one of the greatest Rabbis of our history. In fact it was Rebbi Akiva who was the primary force in codifying the Mishnah which is the foundation of the Talmud which is the basis for all Torah learning to this day.

One individual (Rochel) recognized the hidden greatness of another individual. One individual (Akiva) realized that each good act, no matter how seemingly small, contributes greatness. These two individuals - these two attitudes - changed the world.