גיטין לז

During a trip to Russia, Moshe Montefiore went to meet with Czar Nikolai the first, who was a well-known anti-Semite. Montefiore, the great philanthropist and defender of Jews, urged the Czar to permit Jews to leave Russia. “How much are you prepared to pay me for each Jew that I permit to leave?” asked the Czar. Montefiore responded: “If Your Excellency were to ask me to pay the worth that each Jew has in my eyes, there isn’t enough money in the entire world to do so. However, if you were to ask me to pay for each Jew what he is worth in your eyes, the whole matter is not worth your while at all.”

06/10/2021