A man died and went to Heaven's gates. An angel said to him: "We've looked over your life and we're not really sure what to do with you. Can you tell us anything good you did that might help us make a decision?" The newly arrived soul thought for a moment and replied: "Yes. Once
When רב מאיר שפירו served as a member of the Polish parliament, the Sejm, he and several of his fellow lawmakers were approached by a Jew selling socks. The רב made a purchase but the others declined. רב מאיר explained to the seller: “The politicians don’t need socks. They’re all liars and לשקר אין רגלים.”
When the כף החיים was a little boy, he was playing outside while his father was fervently praying inside the Shul. A man came over to the child and asked, "Why aren't you in Shul next to your father who is crying to השם?" "I'm happy out here, knowing I have such a
Since today's daf speaks about Westerners, its appropriate to ask: Who are the three cowboys in Adon Olam? Billy Reishis, Billy Sachlis, and Kid Ruchie.
A דעתי landlord who hadn't been paid rent by his tenant for many months, offered to forgive the past debt as long as the tenant would vacate the premises now. When the tenant refused, the landlord took him to a בית דין. The landlord presented his case and the tenant agreed that everything he said
The גורי האר״י observed that there is a רמז מן התורה that the absence of one number when doing גימטריה is not מעכב. In בראשית מי, ה, we see that יעקב אבינו declared that אפרים ומנשה כראובן ושמעון. The גימטריה of אפרים ומנשה is 732. The גימטריה of ראובן ושמעון is 731. Thus, notwithstanding that
One day, a boy passing by a ranch, saw a sign that a donkey was for sale for $100. The boy entered the ranch barn, looked the donkey over, and told the farmer that he would pay the money if the donkey could be delivered to his house. The farmer agreed to deliver the
A young תלמיד חכם who was proposed a שידוך with a girl who came from a long line of great גדולים asked her: the גמרא refers to girls who had יחוס and those with good looks and what they said. What did a girl who had both say? She responded: “Such a girl didn't say
A רבי asked his young students: "חכמינו אמרו: אוי לרשע ואוי לשכנו. Does anyone have a ראיה from the תורה that a bad neighbor has a bad influence?" One of the boys responded: "Why it's a פסוק מפורש בתורה: וירד מצרימה ויהי שם לגוי גדול."
A father whose daughter was engaged to be married, approached ר׳ שלמה זלמן of Vilna, a תלמיד מובהק of the גר״א, and expressed concern that the חתן and his family will find out that his daughter is several years older than the חתן. The רב told him: “In פרשת מסעי, the תורה tells us ותהיינה
