R’ Shmuel Keller-Minz relates in Tzur HaBayis the story of a Rabbi who spotted Mrs. Greenberg, a local yenta, approaching his house. “I’m taking refuge in my study,” he told his rebbetzin. He made it up to his study just as the doorbell rang. Three hours later, he called out to his wife: “I assume
Mendel asked Baruch to explain the meaning of שנאת חינם. “Okay,” said Baruch, “Imagine that you heard that I won ten million dollars in the lottery. You would immediately be full of jealousy and שנאה towards me. But if in truth I had won only five million dollars, you’re hatred of me because of the
When two men came to ר׳ מרדכי רקובר to resolve their dispute over where the fence separating their fields belongs, each one arguing that the ground belongs to him, the רב bent down and put his ear to the ground. “Listen to what the earth says,” he told the startled disputants. “The earth says that
When a collector went to see Reb Asher, a wealthy man, he was told that he would need to come back another day because there already was a long line of people waiting to see him. The collector promised that if he is admitted, he will say only one word. The intrigued secretary let him
A newly married Israeli told his wife: “I’m prepared to do all the housework from א to ש. Only ת will be your responsibility. תנקי, תבשלי, תסדרי, תקני."
Reb צבי אלימלך asked “Why don’t we make a ברכה before giving צדקה, the way we make ברכות on everything else?” He answered: “Because if we did so, a poor person could starve to death before we finish the ברכה. And if the בעל הבית is a חסיד, he would first have to go to
One of life’s mysteries is why a dress that’s been in the closet a few years shrinks two sizes.
A מגיד speaking about raising a child לתורה וליראה said: “It is well known that חנך לנער על פי דרכו. When a mother wants to train her child to walk, she takes something sweet, like honey cake, which is לקח in Yiddish, and as the child tries to grab it, she takes steps backwards so
The רשב״ץ observed that there is a רמז from the form of the letters that spell אמת and שקר that the world is קיים על האמת and חרב על השקר. He noted that the bottoms of the letters that spell אמת each have either two legs or a base upon which to stand. However, the
A Tuesday evening lecture on time management was scheduled at the local shul to help people to cope better with financial pressure and the stresses of managing their business, family and social obligations. One of the congregants approached the שמש and asked what time it will start. “Oh,” he said “sevenish, eightish…”
