When the רב of Minsk was traveling with others and after a long and difficult journey they finally arrived at an inn, they didn't know if they should first eat or sleep. Finally, the רב said: "It's a משנה מפורשת. It says שינה באכילתן הבכור יאכל. Which is first? The משנה rules that זכות הבכורה
A כהן was at a סעודה where tasty but small portions of meat were served. He looked at them and sighed. When asked why he was sighing, the כהן responded: "I'm sighing over the חורבן בית המקדש." "What does the חורבן have to do with this סעודה?" he was asked. The כהן answered: "If the
When רב ברוך wasn't feeling well, הירשל put on the רב's clothing, sat in his chair and made himself the רבי. A poor woman came into his study and cried that her daughter is in labor for days and the baby refuses to come out. "Go back home and gather ten men to say יזכור
David Berger devoted many years to serving on the Board of Directors of a charitable organization. When he took ill and was being treated in the hospital, the other members of the Board sent him a get-well note. It read: “Dear David, by a vote of 7 to 3, with two abstentions, the Board wishes
At the installation of the new רב of a city, his father in law, a גדול בתורה, said that the new רב was qualified to be רב of a small town. When he saw the surprised look on the faces of those present, he explained: “In a large city it’s not absolutely necessary that the
A man who frequently boasted that he is the grandson of a well known צדיק, was once told: "Do you know why אברהם, יצחק ויעקב are called אבות? It's to teach that they were אבות and not grandchildren."
It was common for ר׳ אייזל סלאנימער to pray quickly and finish the שמונה עשרה before others in the Shul. When asked why, he explained: “I’m not like other רבנים. Other רבנים follow the קהל in stepping out; my קהל follows me.”
A group of חסידים were traveling by wagon when one of the wheels broke. “A קל וחומר teaches that we can continue to travel,” said one. When asked to explain, he said: “A bicycle has only two wheels and yet people travel on it, it’s a קל וחומר that our wagon, which has three wheels,
How do you grill a chicken? You ask it tough questions.
A poor חסיד came crying to his רבי. “I went from town to town for the past few months collecting money for my daughter’s wedding,” he said, “and now I don’t know where I hid it.” The רבי told him to return to his house and walk around it seven times and to say איזהו
