One ערב שבת, a רבי who came to a town looking for a position, asked the רב if he could put away his wallet for safekeeping for שבת. The רב said he would be happy to do so but only in front of two עדים. He called in two prominent members of the קהילה
The תורה says וזאת התרומה אשר תקח מאתם: זהב וכסף ונחושת. This refers to three kinds of giving. There are those who give from the goodness of their hearts, even while they are healthy. These are referred to by זהב, whose ראשי תיבות spell זה הנותן בריא. There are those who give when faced with
It was a few minutes before closing time and, after a long and hard day, as the salesman was getting ready to go home, in walks a customer. “I’d like to see your selection of ties,” he said. The salesman took out a box of ties and spread a selection of them on the counter.
Before going to sleep, six year old Yossi said a תפילה and screamed out loud: “אלוקים שבשמים, please make sure I get a bicycle.” “Why are you screaming your prayers?” his father asked. The רבונו של עולם isn’t deaf. You don’t have to scream.” Yossi answered: “I know that השם can hear my prayers. But
A boy asked his father to explain business ethics to him. “Well,” said his father, “its pretty simple. Suppose a customer overpays me for a purchase, the ethical issue is do I tell my partner or not.”
On the day that רבי אייזל חריף took his position as רב of Slonim, the sun shone brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. One of the members of the קהילה said to the new רב that that they have a מסורה that if it rains on the day that a new רב
Today’s דף says: גדולה הכנסת אורחים יותר מקבלת פני שכינה. That’s a pretty remarkable statement. If קבלת פני שכינה isn’t greater, it should at least be equal to הכנסת אורחים. But as סוטה יז teaches: איש ואשה כשיש שלום ביניהם שכינה שרויה ביניהם. At times, however, a wife is not prepared to have company
When רב יחיאל of Alexander was sick, the אבני נזר came to be מבקר חולים. After a short while, after a meal was brought in for רב יחיאל, he asked everyone to leave his room. Surprised, the אבני נזר asked why he did so. רב יחיאל responded: "On ערב שבת every Jew is glad to
A collector came to the חוזה הקדוש of Lublin and asked him for a נדבה. The חוזה gave him the same amount that he usually gave to other עניים. The collector complained that he should receive more because we’re קרובים and proceeded to go through a family tree which showed that they are fourth cousins.
An עם הארץ published a commentary on the חומש and brought it to a רב for a הסכמה. After reviewing it, the רב quickly concluded that it was a worthless piece of work. "Such brilliance, such a great idea," he said. "You really think so?" the עם הארץ asked. "Yes," the רב responded. "It was
