There were once two brothers who lived in the South, and they were very wealthy. One of them married a wife, while the other devoted himself body and soul to serving the Holy One, blessed be He with all his heart and with all his soul. He went to the site of the Holy Temple and lived there, saying, “The Temple of the Holy One, blessed be He has been destroyed, so I shall likewise be destroyed and shall not take a wife, nor shall I rejoice in the world. Since the Temple of the Holy One, blessed be He is like a mourner, I shall also behave like a mourner.”

On many an occasion he used to go to his brother to wish him well. Once he went to his brother’s house to wish him well and did not find him there. Now that day his brother’s wife was washing clothes and had taken off all of her jewelry which was worth more than ten thousand dinars, and she placed it in front of her when her husband’s brother came to wish his brother well, he entered the courtyard and did not find him there. When his brother’s wife saw him, she felt ashamed in his presence and went away. In the courtyard grew a very tall tree, a kind of palm. A certain bird made its nest in the uppermost fronds of the tree. When she went away so her brother-in-law should not see her, she left her jewels behind. When the good man found nobody there, he went his way, but the bird came down, took the jewels and placed them in its nest.

When the husband returned from the market, he found his wife crying and tearing her hair. “Why are you crying?” He asked and she told him, “I was washing clothes and took my jewelry off and placed it down in front of me. A little later I looked for it but could not find it and I don’t not know who could’ve stolen it.” “Who entered the courtyard?” He asked. “The only one who came in that I know of,” said she, “was your brother and no one else could’ve taken.” “He abandoned and renounced all the contentment of this world,” said her husband, “and his inheritance and his money and all that belonged to him in order to go and serve the Holy One, blessed be He with full love, yet you say my brother was the one who stole your jewels?” At this, she advised, “take him before the sages and let him swear by an an oath.” He listened to his wife and went and looked for his brother and then led him to the sages and began to tell them the story, “this is what happened to the best of my knowledge.” They said to him, “if a man abandons all ease and contentment of this world, can he steal your wife’s jewels? Nobody like this saintly person is going to do such a thing.”

The matter came before Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, and he said to the pious brother, “what do you say? Will you take an oath?” And he answered, “Yes, I will swear truly and have no fear of anything.” Then Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said to him, “Satisfy him with your money and do not take an oath.” But he answered, “No, sadly, I must take an oath in order that people should not say that I am to be suspected of wrong doing.” And he was prepared to take an oath even though G-d might punish him for doing so.

Then Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said to him, “Come back to me tomorrow morning.” And when he himself went home, he prayed, “L-rd of the universe, you are well aware of all that is hidden and you know about this matter. Deliver him from his transgression.” Then he heard a divine echo, “Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, go to his brother’s courtyard. There you will see a tree, and in the treetop you can find the thing of which the man has been suspected.” They went and found the jewelry there.

Rabbi Yochanan the Zakkai was very astonished at this. Since the pious brother had merely said that he would swear to the oath that he had not robbed or stolen had been suspected, how much more so one who swears falsely and profanes the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He that is why the Bible says, “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, and profane the name of your G-d” (Leviticus 19:12).

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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