Life is overwhelming. Between marriage, children and work, the constant barrage of seemingly regular everyday tasks leaves most of us with little to no time to pursue extra curricular activities. This past summer, for the first time in many years, I used the subway to get to work in the city. While after a long day’s work, I was usually too tired to even read the Post, day after day I was amazed to see how many frum people utilized their commute to be involved in various aspects of avodas Hashem. The woman usually davening or saying Tehillim and the men sitting with either their gemaras or chumashim; what a kiddush Hashem. A co-worker of mine appropriately referred to such individuals simply as the hidden heroes of everyday life. If these are the hidden heroes of everyday life, how do we remember R’ Dovid? What can we learn?
On a personal level, R’ Dovid’s legacy has shown me that when one is motivated enough, time can always be found; it has shown me the ability of one individual to become a marbitz Torah to thousands through creativity and innovation, and, perhaps most importantly, it has shown me that a person’s essence can transcend and be defined by means other than their professional endeavors.