The Silver Spoon

As presented earlier this summer, your Table Talk is in summer L'Chaim mode.

The suggestion is this:

At some point during the Shabbat meal, pour everyone their favorite beverage for a l'chaim.

But ask them not to drink until after you finish the story. Make this a ritual every Friday night, and your family will look forward to it.


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L’Chaim Story
Parshat Ki Teitzei

“The Silver Spoon”

Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl was a Chassidic sage of the 1700s, a student of the Baal Shem Tov.

(His son founded the Chernobyl dynasty.)

One of Rabb Nachmun's priorities was to care for the poor. The poor came to him frequently to request tzedaka.

Once upon a time, a poor man walked out of the Rebbe's room in good spirits. The Rebbe had given him a nice sum of money.

On his way out, he spied a silver spoon, which he took.

[Truncated due to copyright agreement.... the full story is available on the email version of this blog...for the full story, send an email.]

Listen to the sensitivity to another person's feelings! That's what it means to be a great human being, that's what the Torah is all about.

May we all achieve this level of greatness - L’chaim!

+ + Excerpted and adapted with permission from Stories My Grandfather Told Me, Vol. 5, © 2001 ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications. All rights reserved. Get the book here. + +

 
Question for your table... What do you say - did the Rebbe do the right thing?

Shabbat Shalom


PS - For this year's edition of my "25 Questions to Think About Before Rosh Hashana", send an email.

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