The children of a rabbi and a wagon driver were set to be married. Since the in-laws lived faraway from one another, they agreed to hold the wedding in a city midway between their two respective towns.
On the day of the wedding, the rabbi thought to himself, “If I arrive at the wedding dressed in my long silk caftan and my shtreimel I will embarrass my mechutan (in-law), who will be dressed as a simple wagon driver.”
The rabbi changed his fine clothes and put on the plain clothing customarily worn by wagon drivers. On his feet he wore boots, and on his head, an ordinary cap.
What the rabbi did not know was his mechutan had a similar train of thought. “My mechutan is a rabbi and will wear fine clothing to the wedding,” he said to himself. “Should I then be dressed like a simple wagon driver? How inappropriate that would be”
He hurried to dress in a striking silk caftan and a regal shtreimel.
When the two of them arrived at the wedding, everyone thought that the wagon driver was a rabbi and the rabbi a wagon driver.
The same thing can be applied to the galus (long exile) in which we suffer. We have seen our exile give lead to confusion and even turnarounds. The world observed the deeds of the Jewish people and realized that they are upright and proper. Many communities try their best to model and emulate our fine character traits. However, much to our dismay and shame, the Jewish people, in turn, have learned from values of many other communities, imitating their ways, and abandoning the basis of our deeds – Torah.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)
