22 July 2007

Make hay


In his youth, Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev lived with his father-in-law who was a very wealthy man. His home was always full of guests. Levi Yitzchok was in the habit of preparing beds for the guests by arranging bundles of hay on the floor and covering them with sheets, etc.

Once his father-in-law remarked to his learned son-in-law:

-Why even trouble yourself with this? Give a few coins to a gentile and he’ll bring in the hay.

Levi Yitzchok replied:

- Why pass up a mitzvah to a goy and pay for it on top of that?!

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