Life was very difficult in the village where people worked hard. Sadly sometimes food was not plentiful and people went hungry. They may have had a roof over their head, but it frequently leaked. So was life.

Yossele’s life was hard. He’d wake up at dawn run to the old wooden shul say prayers (that he knew) and listen to a lesson from the holy rabbi. He’d rush off to his stall in the marketplace and sell vegetables, but success never smiled on him. He fell behind on his rent for the stall and the farmers were asking for more money for the vegetables he sold, He didn’t want to lose his business and so he borrowed a hundred gold coins from Mordechai haGibor the wealthy merchant in order to keep his stall in the marketplace.

Each day Yossele had fewer and fewer customers and business got worse. “What will I do?” he asked his wife, Bracha Sarah. “I owe a hundred gold coins to Mordechai haGibor and I don’t even have two copper coins to rub together. How will I pay him back?”

Bracha Sarah was very wise.  She sat down with her husband and thought for a time and then advised him, “It’s very clear what you need to do. Go talk to the holy rabbi. He will surely give you good advice.”

People came to the holy rabbi every day with questions about halachah and everyday sort of things to receive his wise advice.

The next morning Yossele waited until everyone had left the shul and then went to the holy rabbi, and told him his problem. ”Yes, your problem is very difficult,” The holy rabbi said as he stroked his long beard. “But I will see what I can to help you.”

That same afternoon, after Minchah, the holy rabbi went to visit the wealthy merchant, Mordechai haGibor. “Rabbi, holy rabbi. What a wonderful surprise!” exclaimed Mordechai haGibor as he answered the door. “I am so honored and happy that you have come to visit me.” The wealthy merchant had his wife bring out fresh pastries and drinks for the holy rabbi.  ”Your visit is worth more to me than you know,” Mordechai haGibor with a wide smile on his face continued. “Why, your visit is worth even a thousand gold coins.”

The holy rabbi laughed and said. “Businessmen have a way of exaggerating. I am sure you do not really mean that. How could my visit be worth that much to you? I don’t bring you business or even customers.”

“I mean it,” replied Mordechai haGibor. “The wonderful feeling I have from your visit is really worth that much to me.”

“Then I believe your kind words,” said the holy rabbi. “Take a moment and listen to what I have to say. There is a poor vegetable seller in the market named Yossele, who owes you a hundred gold coins. Instead of the thousand gold coins that this visit is worth, just forgive Yossele the hundred gold coins he owes you. This way, you save nine hundred gold coins, and you will help Yossele more than you can imagine.”

“Consider it done,” said Mordechai haGibor, ripping up Yossele’s loan contract and freeing him from his debt. “Do we not learn ‘do not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, (Ezekiel 18:7) So I’ll tell you what I’ll do. All the vegetables I need for my kitchen I will buy from Yossele so that he shall have steady business.” Finished the wealthy mearchant

“This guarantees you a special place in the World to Come,” the holy rabbi told him as he left.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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