Tag: Faith
The Iron Wedding Necklace
….our daughters as corner-stones carved after the fashion of a palace. (Psalms 144:12)
Many years ago, in the city of Chevron there was a holy caretaker who was in charge of the keys that opened the gate of the Cave of Machpelah. He was a poor widower who had an only daughter who was kind-hearted and beautiful. The time came when young girl reached marriageable age and was betrothed to a fine young man.
The poor caretaker worked hard to save money for all of the needs of his daughter’s wedding. He bought her a fine assortment of clothes and household things for her wedding day. In the midst of his happiness, The caretaker remembered that the traditions of their community demanded he provide his beautiful daughter with a gold necklace to wear at her wedding. Sadly, he did not have enough money left to buy such a beautiful necklace for his beloved daughter. The holy caretakers heart was heavy that he would disappoint his daughter and he became very sad. The golden necklace was a matter of great pride among the women throughout the city of Chevron, and poor girls lacking the proper dress had been known to cry bitterly for shame on their wedding days, some girls even ran away because they were so embarrassed. The holy caretaker was beside himself about what to do. He didn’t tell his daughter anything, for he did not want her to be sad.
As the wedding day approached, one night the caretaker’s daughter had a dream that she was standing at the gate of the Cave of Machpelah preparing to enter so that she could pray. Because every day, morning and evening, the Jewish people say, “In the cave of Machpelah, ‘Hear, O Israel [our father].’ What you commanded us we still practice: ‘The Lord is our G-d, the L-rd is One.’ ” (Deuteronomy 6:4) (Pesachim 56a; Genesis Rabbah 98:4)
In the dream, she was, holding the keys to the gate when an old woman with long flowing hair dressed in white came up to her. The old woman’s face shined with light that warmed the girl to her very heart. The woman raised her hand and touched the caretaker’s daughter’s hair and she said to her, “This big chain, with these keys to this holy place, should be your necklace at your wedding. This necklace holds a hundred times more merit than any necklace of gold and jewels.”
Then the old woman disappeared. The caretaker’s daughter awoke and, remembering her dream, decided not to tell anyone about it.
The wedding day finally came, and the caretaker’s face was gray with sadness about not having a fine gold necklace for his daughter. Many of his daughter’s friends came to help her get ready for the wedding. After she was dressed in her wedding clothes, she called her father over, asking him if she could speak with him alone. With a warm smile on her face, she said, “Father, dear father please give me the keys to the Cave of Machpelah. They will be my wedding necklace. They have much more merit than any gold or jewels.”
The caretaker was surprised by his daughter’s request as he ran to get the keys and gave them to his daughter. Wearing the iron chain with the keys of the Cave of Machpelah, The caretaker’s daughter was radiant. People said she was more beautiful with the necklace of iron than brides of the past with gold and jewels.
From that day, Hebron’s brides wore this special “Necklace of Iron” instead of gold and jewels at their wedding.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Good Fortune and Bad Fortune (Part II)
The guards refused to permit the young man, who was a stranger to them, into the royal palace, but the king heard what the young man said and commanded the guards: “Bring him in!”
“The Holy One, blessed be He has sent me to you,” the young man said to the king, “so that I may cure your daughter.”
“And what do you need in order to cure her?” asked the king.
“I need only a chamber in which only your daughter and I may be. I also need a basin of warm water and some clothes. I need nothing else.”
When the young man entered the chamber the king had set aside for him, he found the king’s daughter already seated there. She knew no man, for she had never even seen her father, having become blind when she was no more than an infant in her mother’s arms. The chamber the king had set aside for them was closed, and the king and the queen and many other people waited outside but they could see nothing of what went on within it.
In the chamber the young man said to the king’s daughter, “I have been sent by the Holy One, blessed be He to cure you.” He placed some of the leaves that he had brought with him in the water and he put water on her face. Suddenly she opened her eyes and she could see. The young man had her dress in new clothes escorted her out of the room. The joy of her father and mother knew no bounds.
“My son! My daughter!” the king and the queen cried out. They held a great banquet which was followed by a brilliant wedding. The young man was proclaimed heir to the throne.
Some time later the young woman said to her husband. “I want to ask my father to allow us to take a walk through the city and to see all of it together with you.”
When the king heard his daughter’s request, he said, “That is a fine plan,” and he gave the young couple a carriage with two horses and two slaves.
The young couple were driving through the city when they saw a man climbing up a mountain. The young man immediately recognized the climber as his older brother. “Take the carriage, one horse and one slave,” he said to his wife, “and drive home. I will remain here with one horse and the other slave.”
The woman began to weep for she was very much afraid: “No! No!” she cried, “you will run away from me and desert me!” Her husband promised her faithfully that he would not run away from her.
The woman went home, and meanwhile the young man on his horse together with his slave came closer and closer to his brother. As they neared the older brother they saw he suffered from leprosy. The young man returned with his horse and his brother to the city, he on foot and his brother mounted on the horse. Needless to say the older brother could not recognize his brother. How could he, for he was blind?
When they arrived at the palace the young man took his brother to the room where his wife used to live when she was still blind. “Bring me warm water and clothes,” he commanded his slaves. “Do not permit any man to enter the room.” To his brother he said pray with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.
Suddenly the man was healed and the sight of his eyes was restored to him. Then the younger brother called one of his slaves and commanded him to dress his brother in fine clothes.
Then he commanded his servant, “This evening bring this man to the place where the king and all his ministers are seated. “But the older brother was full of fear, for he did not know what would befall him. Indeed he was certain that he would be killed.
In the meantime the young man went to his wife and said to her, “Ask your father to invite all of his ministers to come here this evening.”
In the evening all the guests came to the banquet. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves when suddenly the young crown prince rose from his chair and said to the king, “Sire, I pray you listen to me, and listen all you who are seated here.” And he commanded the servants to bring the man he had cured of blindness into the room. They brought in his older brother, who was dressed in fine garments, but was trembling with fear for he did not know what was to be done to him.
“Come here!” the young man called out to him. “Who are you?” he asked him. “What is your name? Where do you come from? Have you a father? Have you a brother?”
To all of these questions the older brother replied, but to the last question he said: “I had a brother but he is now dead.”
“That is not true! You are a liar,” the young man cried out. All those present listened keenly to hear what he had to say, and he continued. “Look at me! Do you see me? Do you not recognize me? I am your younger brother.“
The older brother was frozen with fear. But the young man said to him, “You have nothing to fear from me, as other people fear you. Only answer me this question: Whom does G-d love more —the good man or the evil?”
“The good man!” the older brother replied. “And I beg you to forgive me and not to do to me as I did to you.”
Then said the young man, “I shall do you no harm, for you are my brother, born of the same mother and the same father. Do not fear!”
The older brother bowed down to the younger, who said: “I shall do you no harm for our father of blessed memory commanded us never to quarrel.” And he called one of the servants and ordered him to give his brother gold and silver and a house and to send him from the city, in which the young man lived with his wife.
And the two lived together in happiness.
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)
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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Good Fortune and Bad Fortune (Part I)
Once upon a time there was an old man who was a widower with two sons who had been brought up without the love of their mother. When the sons were grown up (the older twenty-two years old and the younger eighteen) their father dreamed a dream in which he was told that within seven days he would die. The father called his two sons and said to them, “Within a few days I shall die. I pray you put me on a mare and let her go as she wishes, while you follow her. Wherever the mare stops, there you will bury me.”
The older son did not even want to listen to what his father was saying about his death and went away. But the younger son remained, weeping bitterly. “Remember what I say to you, my son!” the father said to the younger son. “After you have done what I have commanded you to do, you must obey your older brother. Whatever he commands you to do, you must do. For you, my son, are better than he. You must not disobey him.”
A few days after the death of the father the older brother came and said to his younger brother, “Our father is dead. Now you must give me all the money that there is in the house. And all that is in the house is mine.”
The younger son said only, “Whatever money there is in the house is yours.”
Some days passed and the older brother came again, “This house in mine,” he said. “I wish to sell the house!”
Then the younger brother replied, “Brother, as there is a G-d above us, help me at least to find a place where I may sleep. Do not leave me without a roof over my head. Do not sell the whole house!”
But his brother said to him, “There is room outside! You can sleep there, and do not speak to me any more.”
“It seems this is the will of the Holy One, blessed be He,” the young man said. “Do as you wish.” He left his home, and his brother sold the house.
Some time later the older brother returned to the city. All the inhabitants were afraid of him and showed him great respect, for he was very wealthy and they feared that he might do them evil. But in their hearts they hated him.
The older brother entered the place where his younger brother was sleeping, and said to him, “How are you, brother? There is a secret matter between us. Tell me, my brother, you say, “There is a G-d above.’ Whom does He desire, you or me? The evil or the good?”
The young man feared his brother greatly and said, “G-d wishes the evil.”
“I must ask people about this matter,” the older brother said. And he called one of the passers-by. “Come here! Whom does G-d love more, the good man or the wicked?”
This man too feared him and answered : “G-d loves the wicked more!”
“Now I have won,” said the older brother. “And now seeing that G-d loves me I will put out my brother’s eyes.” And without delay he did as he had said and threw his brother’s eyes away.
The blind younger brother wandered through fields and through deserts, but all the time he said, “This is the will of the Holy One, blessed be He. He is G-d in heaven above, and earth beneath,” (Joshua 2:11) and in this way he wandered and wept, feeling his way in the darkness.
One day he chanced to be in a forest and stumbled into a, tree. In that forest there were many wild beasts and poisonous snakes, but they did him no harm, for a cloud went before him and behind him and protected him. The young man placed his head between his hands, and suddenly he found himself up above on a tree.
In the tree were two doves, sisters, one of them blind. All the time the young man could hear them talking to each other and he could understand what they were saying. The dove that could see said to the dove that was blind, “Take a leaf of this tree, pass it over your eyes and you will see again.”
And indeed the young man heard how the sight of the blind dove was restored and how it flew away. So the young man also took a leaf of the tree, passed it over his eyes and prayed: “The earth, O L-rd is full of Your mercy (Ps. 119:64) L-rd, L-rd, G-d merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, (Ex.34:6) heal me, O L-rd and I shall be healed.” (Jer. 17:14) Suddenly he could see everything. The light of his eyes had been restored. The young man took off his shirt and filled them with leaves from the miraculous tree. Then he climbed down and said to himself, “If I go back on this road, that is where my brother is. I will go in a direction where no man knows me.”
The young man came to a city, where he found out that the king had a young daughter, who, though very beautiful, was blind. The king had decreed that whoever could heal his daughter so that she could see would have her hand in marriage and receive half the kingdom as dowry, but if the man who sought her failed to cure her, then his head would be cut off.
The young man went to the palace to save the daughter of the king. The guards laughed at him, “You have no clothes. You have nothing. How will you, a beggar, cure her of her blindness?”
The young man smiled and said nothing, but the guards denied him entrance to the palace. The young man told the guards: “G-d created medicines out of the earth, and let not a wise man reject them. (Ecclesiasticus (ben Sira) 38:2)). I will, with the help of heaven, cure the king’s daughter.”
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)
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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Prayer, Scales and Rain
One can always find comfort in their service to the Holy One, blessed be He as their emunah (faith) is strengthened.
One should serve the Holy One, blessed be He with modesty and humility. We learn in Kedushas Levi: “It is right that a person should be modest in their service of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written in the Morning Prayers, “Let a man fear the Lord in private….” But in order to lift up the holy sparks that are hidden in others, it may be necessary to reveal his own fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, for by this means he may turn them also to the fear of the Holy One, blessed be He. And this was the purpose of Israel’s wandering through the desert.””
One’s service to the Holy One, blessed be He is private and is no concern of others for no one can duplicate the service of one’s heart.
Many many years ago there was a drought in Eretz Yisrael. The skies were clear and the sun shined brightly. Water was scarce and the children cried from thirst.
The holy rabbi of Sfas called for a community fast and everyone was to be in the shul (synagogue) to prayer that haKadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, blessed be He) be merciful and bless the land with life giving rain.
The people prayed and fasted, but the skies stayed clear and no rain came.
That night as the rabbi slept he dreamed that the rains would come if the shopkeeper would lead the morning prayer.
In the morning when the rabbi woke, he dismissed the dream because the shopkeeper was not very learned and was not knowledgeable enough to lead the community in prayer. That day the sun’s heat was great
The same dream came to the rabbi again that night. This time he knew there was something special about the shopkeeper.
As everyone gathered in the shul (synagogue) in the morning, the rabbi called the shopkeeper and told him to lead everyone in prayer.
The shopkeeper looked at the rabbi and saw that he was serious and could not understand why he was to lead the prayer. The rabbi knew he could not even read all of the words of the morning prayers. The shopkeeper looked into the rabbi’s eyes once more and then burst out of the shul.
Many saw the shopkeeper as he ran out of the shul with his tallis (prayer shawl) waving behind. After sometime he returned carrying something hidden in his tallis. He went up to the aron kodesh (cabinet where the Torah scrolls are kept).
The shopkeeper opened the aron kodesh, kissed the sefer Torah and then removed from under his tallis the scales from his shop. Silence fell over the shul as the shopkeeper raised his hands towards the shamayim and began “Ribbono shel olam, Master of the Universe, hear me now. If I have ever mistreated anyone in my shop, let these scales be witness against me. Every day when I look at these scales I see Your holy name. As I look at the right pan I see a “yud”, the right pan and arm, a “hay”; the center post, a “vov”; and the left arm and pan, a “hay”. When I see Your holy name I think of the Torah and the many wonders You have provided to b’nai Yisrael. In your infinite mercy please grant the rains so that the people of Israel can sing your praises.
The skies grew dark and the rains came. The people wondered and asked the holy rabbi why this simple shopkeeper’s prayer was answered and not that of the community.
The holy rabbi answered that one should serve The Holy One, blessed be He with modesty and humility and many times our daily avodah becomes mechanical and it done by rote. The shopkeeper sees the greatness of The Holy One, blessed be He everyday and therefore serves him always in the words of the shema, “b’chol levavacha, uva’chol nasfshacha, uva’chol me’odecha (with all your heart, and all your soul and all your might)”
Let us all pray we can find comfort in our daily prayers as did the simple shopkeeper did many years ago in Sfas.
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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Listening and Justice
Listen to the cases between one person and another, and judge righteously
between every man and stranger among you. (Deuteronomy 1:16)
Everything is written in the Holy Scriptures, and fortunate is a person who bases his conduct and lifestyle on the Scripture’s teachings.
There once were two merchants, one Jewish and one not, and they came before the village rabbi to settle a monetary dispute. The non-Jewish merchant claimed that the Jewish merchant had borrowed money from him, but the Jewish merchant denied that he owed him anything. The holy rabbi sensed that the non-Jewish merchant was truthful.
After hearing the arguments of both sides, he told them that he had to leave for a few minutes and asked them to discuss the matter between themselves in the meantime.
Both merchants had gone to the local synagogue, and both of them thought that the holy rabbi had left the synagogue.
But in truth, the holy rabbi had not left, he had gone up into the women’s section, and was listening to every word both of the merchants were saying.
A heated argument erupted between them, and the holy rabbi heard the non-Jewish merchant shouting at the Jewish merchant, “Are you not ashamed of yourself? You know very well that you borrowed the money from me, and how can you claim that you don’t owe me anything?”
“It’s true that I borrowed money from you,” the Jewish merchant responded, “but I am under a lot of financial stress right now, and I don’t have the money to pay you back.”
The holy rabbi went back down into the synagogue and ruled in favor of the non-Jewish merchant, rebuking the Jewish merchant for his contemptible behavior.
Later he explained that he had derived the strategy of leaving the merchants alone and listening to their conversation from the direction of, “Hear the cases between one person and another, and judge righteously between every man and stranger among you, (Deuteronomy 1:16) implies that in order to judge fairly, a judge has to listen to what both sides say to each other.
The simple meaning of the verse is that a judge has to listen to both sides equally and not give preferential treatment to one side. For we learn to “Execute truth, justice, and peace within your gates” (Zech. 8:16)
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)
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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Debts and Faith
A wealthy merchant made known that anyone in his city in need of a loan should come to him, and he would receive the entire sum that he needed.
Upon hearing of the wealthy merchant’s offer, many people came to his home. The wealthy merchant sat at his desk with his notepad open in front of him. He gave each person the sum of money that he needed and then jotted down the amount in his notepad. Sometime later, the wealthy merchant realized that of all the people he had lent money to, not one had paid him back.
It happened that one of the people who had borrowed money truly did not have the means of repaying the debt. He decided to go to the wealthy merchant and explain why he was late in returning his money. He hoped that the man would be kindhearted and understand his situation.
We are all indebted to the Holy One, blessed be He for the abundance of kindness that He showers upon us at each and every moment. But due to our small stature and limited skills and faith, we are incapable of repaying that debt. What we can do, though, is speak to others and inspire them regarding matters of faith, reminding them that they, too, are indebted to the Holy One, blessed be He.
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)
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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The Shepherd’s Flute
Many times we ask: “What is prayer?” It is indeed a difficult question to answer, but are we not taught: Only that man’s prayer is answered who lifts his hands with his heart in them. Taanis 8a
Another thought: Every word of your prayer is like a rose which you pick from its bush. You continue until you have formed a bouquet of blessings until you have pleated a wreath of beauty and glory to G-d.
A shepherd once grappled with the question of payer:
There once was a Jewish shepherd who was very simple and had very little understanding of Jewish prayer and traditions. Everyday he would go out to the fields with the sheep and as he watched the flock, he would sit on a rock and play upon his flute.
As the Jewish Holidays neared he saw many people traveling on the road going to the nearby city. Each day more and more people traveled down the road. The shepherd asked the travelers what was so special that they were going to the city for.
“We are on the way to a holy rabbi, to spend the holidays with the tzaddik,(a pious and righteous man), and pray that the Holy One, blessed be He answer our prayers with goodness, mercy and health.”
“Why is this so important?” asked the shepherd.
“Come with us and see how special the holy rabbi is”
The boy was uncomfortable, for you see he did not know how to pray. He only knew that he was Jewish and that there is a G-d who provides for all our needs. Not knowing what to do, the boy went into the woods with his flute to think and play a soulful melody. He thought and thought for a long time and decided to go with the people to meet this special rabbi.
The shepherd left the woods and the fields behind him as he walked down the road to the city. He did not know what to expect. He felt everyone knew more than him. He could not pray and did not even know the language of prayer.
He slowly made his way to the old wooden shul (synagogue) and saw that everyone was deep in prayer. The holy rabbi looked so sad. The shepherd carefully watched the holy rabbi who stood under his large tallis (prayer shawl) in front of the shul. It covered his head and body, and the boy saw him swaying gently back and forth. The shepherd began to sway as he thought to himself, “the grain in the field moves with the wind out of respect for the Creator of all things and this is how everything in the world is holy.”
The shepherd sat when everyone else sat he stood up when they stood up, but the holy rabbi was different. He seemed to be shivering and standing most of the time. The young boy felt that each person in the old wooden shul (synagogue) was able to pray to G-d but not him. At one point, every one was standing up and it was so quiet in the shul that the shepherd could actually hear his very own heart beating. He looked at the holy rabbi and saw on the floor a wet spot, the rabbi was crying. He felt an urge to do something, but what could he do? He could not read Hebrew, he knew no prayer. With streams of his own tears, he pulled out his flute and played a soulful tune to the holy One, blessed be He.
As he began his melody, the people in the shul (synagogue) were shocked. They turned in anger to look at this terrible violation of the holy prayer service. As they shouted at him to stop this terrible thing, the boy looked terrified. The holy rabbi, ran up to the boy and said, “Sha shtil (quiet, be still) no one is to say anything harsh to this boy for it is because of him that the blessings of Heaven are possible this day.”
The people were awed of the tzaddik’s words, as he explained “All day we have prayed, but not one prayer ascended to the heavens. The gates of the heaven were closing as the holiday was ending when suddenly, this boy in his innocence and pure heart and tears began to play his flute. He prayed with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his might and the doors of heaven opened up and our prayers were accepted.”
“We should learn from this simple shepherd and his prayer.” He took the young boy by the hand and led him to the front of the shul (synagogue) and together under the holy rabbi’s tallis they finished their prayers.
Everyone can pray with true devotion. Let us just open ourselves up and let our prayers and thoughts rise to G-d, for He hears all prayers.
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)
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The New Fabric and Faith
In a certain city lived the owner of a fabric mill who had successfully developed a new type of fabric. It was a remarkable fabric, strong, soft to the touch and appealing to the eye.
The fabric became very popular, and many people gathered outside his mill to buy it. It became so popular, that he was simply unable to manufacture enough of the fabric to meet the overwhelming demand.
While there were many individuals who actually preferred their old clothes, which were still in excellent condition, they nevertheless, purchased the new fabric and had clothing sewn from it, as they wanted to keep up with the styles.
One who observed a group of people wearing clothing made from the new fabric, would have no way of knowing which of them truly enjoys wearing the clothing and which of them is wearing those clothes just to be fashionable.
However, there is one way to discern a weaver’s true motives. If the person meets the inventor and makes an effort to thank him for his innovative achievement, even telling him how pleased they are with the fabric, it is an indication that the person is truly pleased.
But then there are those who greet the inventor with a sour face and treat him rather poorly. Given the opportunity, they will even go so far as to blame him over the fact that he caused them to spend a great deal of money. Such individuals are wearing the fabric only to appear fashionable.
One can distinguish between the Divine service of various individuals, in the very same manner. There are those who perform the mitzvos (religious duties) out of Heavenly fear and love for the Creator. Then there are those who perform the mitzvos by rote, simply for the sake of discharging an obligation. The only way to discern between them is by observing the manner in which they carry out the mitzvos. One who fulfills them with joy and excitement and tries to be as meticulous as possible, falls under the category of one who truly loves the Holy One,blessed be He. But if not…
May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)
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According to the Exertion Is the Reward
A king wished to build a magnificent palace for himself, the likes of which had never before been seen. The king’s officers therefore hired a world-renowned architect who was known to be an expert in his field.
The architect was brought before the king and, shortly thereafter, presented him an extraordinary blueprint for a palace that would be both enormous and awe-inspiring.
The blueprint found favor in the eyes of the king, and he gave orders to commence construction at once. He had but one request to make of the architect, however: He desired that the palace be completed on the anniversary of his ascension to the throne. He would then stage a gala celebration, during which the new palace would be dedicated.
The builders expended much effort and, indeed, a glorious new palace, whose beauty was unmatched by any other edifice, stood completed one month before the designated time.
In order to paint the palace walls, the king hired four expert painters. Each one was assigned one wall and was instructed to paint it with vibrant and cheerful colors.
Three out of the four painters began working immediately. They mixed colors together and decorated the walls with many wonderful designs and patterns. One of the painters, however, sat carelessly by and did not begin painting.
“Why have you not begun working?” asked one of the painters. “If you do not start now, you will be unable to finish in time!”
“Don’t worry,” responded the painter. “I will have plenty of time to finish.”
Nearly one month later, the three painters had produced walls of sheer beauty; a fantastic kaleidoscope of colors blended harmoniously into matching patterns that were amazing to behold. The fourth wall, however, stood embarrassingly empty of any color or magnificence whatsoever.
One day before the king’s anniversary, the painter went to the palace and hung large mirrors on the fourth wall that reflected the other three walls. Now the fourth wall appeared to be painted as well, and it looked quite splendid.
When the king entered the palace and beheld its sheer beauty, he was ecstatic. Wishing to show his appreciation for his workers’ efforts, the king ordered his servants to bring in three bags filled with gold coins and jewelry.
He then instructed them to hang the bags on the three painted walls.
“Here you go,” said the king to the painters. “Your reward is hanging on the wall that you painted.”
“But what about my reward?” asked the clever fourth painter. “Your reward,” answered the king, “is reflected in the mirror that you hung on the wall…”’
The lesson of this story is quite clear – “the reward is in proportion to the exertion” (Pirkei Avos 5:26)
May the L-rd reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the L-rd, (Ruth 2:12)
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)