The Young Man Who Fasted Too Much
As a young man Rav Mordechai held himself to strict self-denial, until Rav Zusha of Anipoli rebuked him.
Chassidim relate that even as a young man Rav Mordechai held himself to a severe discipline. He fasted often and denied himself the ordinary pleasures of the table, wanting to serve Hashem with all that he had. In Nikolsburg he drew close to the city's Rav, Rav Shmelke Horowitz, and learned from his ways, and this strict path was part of how he lived.
According to the tradition kept in his family, Rav Zusha of Anipoli once rebuked him for going so far. Rav Mordechai did not argue and did not take offense. He accepted the correction and changed course. He kept his modest way of life, but from then on he only reduced the amount that he ate, and he no longer pushed himself to the edge.
It is a small episode, yet it says something about him. He was already learned and already admired when the rebuke reached him, and he allowed himself to be told that his zeal had gone further than it should. That readiness to listen stayed with him as he became the leading Rav of Moravia.
Source: Toldos Mohar"m Benet (Alt-Ofen, 1832), the family biography by his son; Sheiri HaMeah (Rav Y. L. Maimon) credits the same rebuke to Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk
Zeal is a good thing, and so is the willingness to be told that it has gone too far. This week, think of one commitment you keep with great intensity, whether a fast, a schedule of learning or a standard you hold at home. Ask someone whose judgment you trust whether it still serves you and your family. If they suggest easing it, listen without defending yourself. A steady practice you can keep is worth more than a heroic one that wears you out.