זבחים ס

Two women in a shtetel in pre-war Europe each had a daughter to marry off.  There were no suitable boys available locally, so they wrote to a Yeshiva, described their daughters and families, and asked for a שידוך.  The Yeshiva wrote back to each of them and told them that two boys would be arriving by train on a certain date. The two women waited at the train station and to their disappointment, only one boy showed up.  Each mother claimed that the boy was intended for her daughter.  After an hour’s argument, they agreed to present the issue to the local רב for a decision.  He heard out the two mothers and then declared “I’ll do like שלמה המלך.  I’ll cut him to pieces and give half to each of you.”  Immediately, one of the mothers responded: “If that is the way it has to be, so be it.”  The other said “חס ושלום.  No way.”  To which one did he give the חתן?  The one who said to slice him up.  That’s a true mother-in-law.

06/10/2021