In פרשת מצורע, the פסוק says כנגע נראה לי בבית. The word כנגע, like a נגע, expresses doubt. It has been said that the reason for this is that there are times when a נגע appears on a house not as an עונש but in order to reveal a treasure hidden in the walls. As
The Governor of a southern state was at a party with his wife, when a former classmate of hers came over to say hello. She caught up with him about old times. Afterwards, the Governor asked her what her former classmate does. “He’s in the trash business,” she replied, adding that she had actually dated
When בני ישראל were given מן from Heaven, they complained that they want meat. ר׳ מנחם מנדל מקוצק asked why did they want actual meat? After all, the מן had the טעם of whatever food each person desired. The רבי answered: “They weren’t satisfied merely with טעם. They wanted ממשיות.”
A Jewish man was speeding along the highway at 1 a.m. A policeman stopped him and asked, "Where are you racing at this hour?" "To a lecture," the man answered. "Who will give you a lecture at this time of night?" the policeman wondered. "My wife," he replied.
A בחור in Volozhin who had been appointed the Purim Rov had far too much to drink before delivering his דרשה, which flung insult after insult against the נצי"ב. After Purim, the בחור asked for מחילה and the נצי"ב forgave him, despite the protest of one of his sons, who cited the Yiddish expression that
R’ שלום הלוי, a well known מגיד, while traveling on a train, asked his fellow passengers to join him in making a מנין for מנחה. Seven men said that they would be glad to do so, but two refused and left for another car in the train. רבי שלום remarked: "I had always wondered, when
Sydney’s mother didn’t understand why his wife left him. “It was for religious reasons,” he said. “She worships money. I never had enough to satisfy her.”
The רב of a small town turned 80 and to honor him, the קהילה decided that each of the 50 בעלי בתים would donate two bottles of wine and pour them into the cask in the רב's cellar. And so they did, filling it to its very top. After dinner, the pleased רב asked his
When Chaim walked into the office, he knew something was up. There was a message on his desk that the boss wanted to see him as soon as he arrived. The boss didn’t look very happy when Chaim reported to his office. He said nothing – just pointed at the newspaper on his desk. It
R’ חיים of Brisk once commented to a מתפלל whose loud davening was disturbing the קהל that the תורה commanded that bells be placed on the מעיל of the כהן גדול so that when he is in the Holy of Holies it will be know that he is alive. But if his תפילה in the
