a folktale of justice from Turkey

The teacher, Nasreddin Hodja, was standing in the marketplace when a stranger stepped up to him and slapped him in the face. The stranger then said, “I beg your pardon. I thought that you were someone else.”

This explanation did not satisfy Nasreddin, so he brought the stranger before the qadi and demanded justice.

Nasreddin soon realized that the qadi and the stranger were friends. The stranger admitted his guilt, and the judge pronounced the sentence: “The settlement for this offense is one copper coin to be paid to the Nasreddin. If you do not have a copper coin with you, then you may bring it here to the Nasreddin at your convenience.”

Hearing this sentence, the stranger went on his way. Nasreddin waited for him to return with the copper coin. And he waited. And he waited.

Sometime later, Nasreddin said to the qadi, “Do I understand correctly that one copper coin is sufficient payment for a slap?”

“Yes,” answered the qadi.

Hearing this answer, Nasreddin slapped the judge in the face and said, “You may keep my copper coin when the stranger returns with it,” then walked away.

 

Justice is sometimes a matter of perception. If there is no justice, there is no peace. (Kad haKemach 14th Century)

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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