Dovid Hamelech once walked along the riverbank and exclaimed, “Master of the
Universe, is there anyone in the world who thanks and praises his Master as much
as I do?” He encountered a frog. It said to him, “Don’t be haughty, for I exceed
you. I gave up my life for the will of my Master when I jumped into the ovens of
Egypt to putrify the Egyptians’ bread. Furthermore, I praise Him day and night,
without silence.” When the frog leapt into the Egyptian ovens, it declared that
even its very life was an insufficient expression of Hashem’s eternal praise. With
its constant croaking, the frog sings that Hashem’s name should be blessed
forever, since there is no end to His praise.
We strive to do Hashem’s will throughout our lives. Every moment is
another note in the song of His kingship. Although we may not be
challenged to give up our lives, sometimes the right choice is against our
instincts, involving great discomfort or financial loss, and only a frog-leap
of faith can get us through. There are times of confusion. Then, like a ship
which sails through dense fog that relies blindly on its navigational
calculations, we have try do what appears best, and leave the rest to
Hashem. A Jew may aim with deliberation, but he leaps with confident faith. And wherever he lands, he lives with song.