“Fear not, Abram, I am a shield for you, your reward is very great.” (Gen. 15:1).

As a young student wished to meet a holy rabbi who was looked upon as one of the gadolei hador (leaders of the generation), and learn from him.

The journey for the young student was very long and expensive, far beyond his ability to pay. Since he could not afford to travel as a passenger, he hired himself out as a Wagoner’s assistant. The driver needed someone to accompany him on the long, long trip and he welcomed the offer.

Everything was fine until the young student took a turn at the reins. Sensing a new, inexperienced driver, the horses bolted. They galloped full speed ahead. The wagon and its passengers pitched from side to side. When the wagoner had regained control of the horses, he turned furiously on his assistant:

“Don’t you know the first thing about horses? Don’t you even have enough sense to hold on to the reins, you good-for-nothing?”

And, for good measure, he gave his young assistant a number of resounding blows.

At long last, the journey was over and they had reached the village where the holy rabbi lived. And when the young man left his employer, the wagoner barely said good-bye. He was glad to be rid of his worthless assistant.

The young student made his way at once to the home of the holy rabbi lived where a different welcome awaited him. The young man’s reputation had gone before him. The more the holy rabbi spoke with him, the more impressed he became and he begged the young gaon (genius) to honor the people of the village with a lesson that Shabbos.

The news flew through the city. Everyone in the village gathered in the small wooden shul (synagogue) to hear the genius speak. And the wagoner was present, too.

When the young student walked up to the platform, the wagoner nearly fainted. He recognized the inefficient young helper who had earned his anger on the long trip. He remembered how he had scolded him, shouted at him, and even struck him! He grew flushed and pale with embarrassment as he recalled his behavior.

He trembled like a leaf throughout the lesson. After an eternity, when it was finally over, the wagoner dragged himself up to the front of the synagogue and threw himself at the feet of the young man, weeping, “Please forgive me!”

“You have nothing to feel bad about, my dear man,” the young student comforted him. “Had you scolded me about my Torah scholarship, had you struck me for being an am haaretz (ignorant boor), you would, perhaps, have been guilty of disrespect for the Torah. But you rebuked me for being a poor driver. On that account, you were perfectly justified. In truth, I know nothing about horses.”

May all your Tales end with Shalom