It was a beautiful spot by the forest. The breeze would rustle the leaves of the nearby trees and the stream gently gurgled. One could just stand and sense the peace surrounding the area.

Two very powerful men in the village argued over who actually owned the land. Each one wanted to expand their business and made plans to build on the small plot of land. Neither of them had sufficient proof that the land was his, so they decided to take their dispute to the holy rabbi of the village. The rabbi listened carefully to their many arguments and tried hard to a fair compromise. Sadly, neither party wished to yield to type of mediation, insisting instead that the holy rabbi apply the letter of the law.

The rabbi was upset by their stubbornness and pettiness, and tried to impress upon them that earthly possessions are after all only temporary, and that a small plot of land is hardly worth the animosity they were generating. However. the two turned a deaf ear to his pleas.

The rabbi then related the Midrash that when the Israelites came to the Land of Canaan and it was portioned among the twelve tribes, the division was accomplished by casting lots, and the validity of the lot was confirmed by a Bas Kol (Heavenly voice) which affirmed to which tribe each piece of land belonged. The holy rabbi suggested that since there was not enough evidence to rule on, the two parties should rely on a Divine revelation. “Let the land speak for itself,” he said with as much authority as he could muster. The two embattled litigants agreed.

The rabbi and the two parties then went to the site. Very impressively, the rabbi bent over and spoke to the earth, “I command you to tell me to which of these two people you really belong.” He put his ear to the ground and listened, then arose slowly. With a somber look and a foreboding tone, he shared what he heard. “The earth says it belongs to neither of you, but that you belong to it, because it will eventually claim both of you.”

The two angry men immediately understood, and with shivers, agreed to work together. They built some benches and put up a sign for everyone to see who visited that beautiful spot by the forest. The sign said, “Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them close to faith.” “(Pirkei Avos 1:12). The path through that piece of land carried the hopes of those two powerful men – that all who walked that path would come to peace.

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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