גיטין לט

A collector from ארץ ישראל would come to New York on behalf of a מוסד supporting the elderly, widows and עגונות. He was received בעין יפה until someone suspected that he may not be on the up and up and asked a רב in ירושלים to check him out. After doing so, the רב confronted the collector and said “You’re a fraud. Your מוסד is לא קיים ולא נברא.” The collector objected: “That’s not true. My wife is an elderly woman. My daughter-in-law is a widow. Both of them live in my home. And as for an עגונה, eventually one will come to live with us as well, because במקום שבאו עליו שתי פורעניות מצטרפת להן פורענות שלישית.” The רב laughed and said: “If so, you should speak in the singular, saying that the מוסד is for a זקנה, אלמנה ועגונה.” The collector replied: “Knowledge of דקדוק is neither מדאורייתא nor מדרבנן.”

06/10/2021