בבא בתרא קנו

In the days of Czar Nicholas, the government decreed that Jewish boys who were not married would be drafted for military service.  To avoid this fate, children were married off at very young ages.  One day, a visitor arrived in a town and saw a young boy and girl playing in the street.  Seeing that the child was religious, he asked why he wasn’t in חדר.  “I got married yesterday and so I’m off today,” the boy answered.  “Well if you’re now a married man, why aren’t you wearing long pants?” the visitor asked.  “I wore them yesterday when I went under the חופה,” the boy answered.  “My younger brother is getting married today, so he’s wearing them now.”

06/10/2021