THE SHORT ROUTE OR THE LONG ROUTE? by Rabbi Ben Abraham
Mendel and Mottel lived with their wives in a small town near the great city of Lodz. They were next-door neighbors and got along splendidly. Although they had no children, they still loved their wives in spite of their barren wombs.
Now it came to pass that when autumn turned to winter, and the winds blew hard and the air got cold, both wives of Mendel and Mottel came down with the flu. Now it was nearing the onset of the Sabbath that both husbands, caring deeply for their wives lifted up their voices saying;
“Oh, dearest wife, my dearly beloved, be at ease and be at rest. Fret not for the cares of preparing the Sabbath meal for infirmity is upon thee. Rest in thy bed for I, thy husband, will prepare the Sabbath meal. I will light the fire and put on the stove water to boil. I will cut up the chicken and chop the carrots, onions, garlic, and potatoes. I will add the spices you are accustomed to. I will even put in some white wine and a bit of schnapps. Then, when the sun goes down and the Sabbath begins, I will get thee up to light the Sabbath candles and thus welcome into our home the blessed Sabbath.”
Upon hearing these words, both wives looked up into the eyes of their husbands and smiled. They were both so blessed to have such caring husbands who would see to their needs in times of ill health.
“Oh, and what’s more”, continued their husbands, “I’ll even prepare and bake the Challah loaves for the Sabbath.”
Now, at the mention of ‘preparing and baking Challah loaves’ both wives rolled their eyes and sighed;
“Oi!”
Now, upon hearing the “oi” from the lips of their wives, both husbands remembered last winter when their wives got sick, that they attempted to bake Challah loaves in their kitchen ovens. But when the Challah loaves came out, instead of soft and fluffy loaves of bread, out came two very hard and heavy oblong loaves of petrified Challah. So hard were the loaves that if launched from a cannon, they would have indeed made a hole in a wall or would have caused a ship to sink.
So as not to make any holes in walls nor sink any ships during the time of Sabbath, both husbands decided to go into Kosherville to purchase Challah loaves from the bakery of Jakob Jakubowicz, who had one of the best bakeries in town, if not in the entire region.
So, Mendel and Mottel got warmly dressed, and with money in their purses set off for Kosherville to purchase the Challah loaves for the Sabbath. Now there was only one road to Kosherville that went through a dense forest. At a certain point, it separated into two smaller roads both ending up in Kosherville, one in the Northern part and the other in the Southern part.
The difference between the two smaller roads was that one was a longer route and the other was a shorter route. Now when Mendel and Mottel got to the point where the main road divided, they saw their old rabbi sitting on a large tree stump deep in thought. Now the story behind the tree stump was that it used to be a very large and tall oak tree. It was just a sapling during the time of the great sage Maimonides.
The tree had survived all these years only to be cut down a few years back in order to build one of the great synagogues of Lodz. Now the rabbi just sat on the stump thinking, pondering on things that only a rabbi would ponder on. The cold wind was blowing his long, gray beard across his long, black Bekishe. He took his right hand and pushed his black hat more firmly on his head. The old rabbi smiled as he saw Mendel and Mottel nearing the fork in the road.
“Gut Shabbos to you both” greeted the rabbi.
“Gut Shabbos to you too rabbi.” Replied Mendel and Mottel.
“On your way to Kosherville, are you?” asked the rabbi inquisitively.
“Yes,” replied Mendel, “We’re on our way to buy some Challah for the Sabbath.
“You see”, added Mottel, “both our wives are under the weather and we want them to rest in bed, especially since the Sabbath is almost upon us. They must take it easy while we occupy ourselves with the Sabbath meal.”
“You are fine husbands,” nodded the rabbi, “to care for your wives so, but allow me to impart some knowledge, and with this knowledge, you may make a wise choice since wisdom always accompanies knowledge.”
“say on,” said Mendel and Mottel, now a little curious as to what the rabbi would say next.
“Behold, two paths lay before you and both paths lead to Kosherville. One path is the long route and the other path is the shorter route, yet allow me to speak on, for now here lies the bit of wisdom.”
“Continue.” Replied Mendel and Mottel.
“I tell you this that the short route will be the longer route and the long route will end up being the shorter route.”
“How’s that?” questioned Mendel, a bit perplexed at the rabbi’s words.
“But how can that be?” replied Mottel, equally a bit confused.
“For the sake of wisdom and knowledge, I will repeat myself this one more time. I say to you that I know these parts and you must take my words on faith, for this is part of living and trusting. I am your rabbi and I would not lead you wrong. If you choose the short way you will indeed be choosing the longer route, but if you choose the longer route you will indeed walk the shorter route.”
Mendel and Mottel looked at each other and shook their heads. “The rabbi is daft. He makes no sense” said Mendel
“No sense indeed,” replied Mottel.
“Nay,” responded the rabbi, “I am letting experience speak for itself for I have walked these paths for years. Let age and wisdom be your guide. Take heed and make the right choice.”
“We will take the shorter route as usual.” Spoke Mendel.
“Yes,” added Mottel, “The short-cut is the fastest way to Kosherville.”
“Very well,” replied the rabbi sadly, “I will see you both again, and very soon, yet without the Challah loaves.”
“With the Challah!” resounded Mendel and Mottel confidently.
But the rabbi did not respond, he only turned his head and went on thinking and pondering on things that only rabbis ponder on, perhaps the Sabbath message or something of the sort.
So, Mendel and Mottel set off down the short route to Kosherville. In almost no time at all, they could see the outline of the town ahead of them. Now there was a river that separated the wooded area from Kosherville. The river was shallow and there was an old bridge that crossed over the river to the town.
(con't below)
Mendel and Mottel lived with their wives in a small town near the great city of Lodz. They were next-door neighbors and got along splendidly. Although they had no children, they still loved their wives in spite of their barren wombs.
Now it came to pass that when autumn turned to winter, and the winds blew hard and the air got cold, both wives of Mendel and Mottel came down with the flu. Now it was nearing the onset of the Sabbath that both husbands, caring deeply for their wives lifted up their voices saying;
“Oh, dearest wife, my dearly beloved, be at ease and be at rest. Fret not for the cares of preparing the Sabbath meal for infirmity is upon thee. Rest in thy bed for I, thy husband, will prepare the Sabbath meal. I will light the fire and put on the stove water to boil. I will cut up the chicken and chop the carrots, onions, garlic, and potatoes. I will add the spices you are accustomed to. I will even put in some white wine and a bit of schnapps. Then, when the sun goes down and the Sabbath begins, I will get thee up to light the Sabbath candles and thus welcome into our home the blessed Sabbath.”
Upon hearing these words, both wives looked up into the eyes of their husbands and smiled. They were both so blessed to have such caring husbands who would see to their needs in times of ill health.
“Oh, and what’s more”, continued their husbands, “I’ll even prepare and bake the Challah loaves for the Sabbath.”
Now, at the mention of ‘preparing and baking Challah loaves’ both wives rolled their eyes and sighed;
“Oi!”
Now, upon hearing the “oi” from the lips of their wives, both husbands remembered last winter when their wives got sick, that they attempted to bake Challah loaves in their kitchen ovens. But when the Challah loaves came out, instead of soft and fluffy loaves of bread, out came two very hard and heavy oblong loaves of petrified Challah. So hard were the loaves that if launched from a cannon, they would have indeed made a hole in a wall or would have caused a ship to sink.
So as not to make any holes in walls nor sink any ships during the time of Sabbath, both husbands decided to go into Kosherville to purchase Challah loaves from the bakery of Jakob Jakubowicz, who had one of the best bakeries in town, if not in the entire region.
So, Mendel and Mottel got warmly dressed, and with money in their purses set off for Kosherville to purchase the Challah loaves for the Sabbath. Now there was only one road to Kosherville that went through a dense forest. At a certain point, it separated into two smaller roads both ending up in Kosherville, one in the Northern part and the other in the Southern part.
The difference between the two smaller roads was that one was a longer route and the other was a shorter route. Now when Mendel and Mottel got to the point where the main road divided, they saw their old rabbi sitting on a large tree stump deep in thought. Now the story behind the tree stump was that it used to be a very large and tall oak tree. It was just a sapling during the time of the great sage Maimonides.
The tree had survived all these years only to be cut down a few years back in order to build one of the great synagogues of Lodz. Now the rabbi just sat on the stump thinking, pondering on things that only a rabbi would ponder on. The cold wind was blowing his long, gray beard across his long, black Bekishe. He took his right hand and pushed his black hat more firmly on his head. The old rabbi smiled as he saw Mendel and Mottel nearing the fork in the road.
“Gut Shabbos to you both” greeted the rabbi.
“Gut Shabbos to you too rabbi.” Replied Mendel and Mottel.
“On your way to Kosherville, are you?” asked the rabbi inquisitively.
“Yes,” replied Mendel, “We’re on our way to buy some Challah for the Sabbath.
“You see”, added Mottel, “both our wives are under the weather and we want them to rest in bed, especially since the Sabbath is almost upon us. They must take it easy while we occupy ourselves with the Sabbath meal.”
“You are fine husbands,” nodded the rabbi, “to care for your wives so, but allow me to impart some knowledge, and with this knowledge, you may make a wise choice since wisdom always accompanies knowledge.”
“say on,” said Mendel and Mottel, now a little curious as to what the rabbi would say next.
“Behold, two paths lay before you and both paths lead to Kosherville. One path is the long route and the other path is the shorter route, yet allow me to speak on, for now here lies the bit of wisdom.”
“Continue.” Replied Mendel and Mottel.
“I tell you this that the short route will be the longer route and the long route will end up being the shorter route.”
“How’s that?” questioned Mendel, a bit perplexed at the rabbi’s words.
“But how can that be?” replied Mottel, equally a bit confused.
“For the sake of wisdom and knowledge, I will repeat myself this one more time. I say to you that I know these parts and you must take my words on faith, for this is part of living and trusting. I am your rabbi and I would not lead you wrong. If you choose the short way you will indeed be choosing the longer route, but if you choose the longer route you will indeed walk the shorter route.”
Mendel and Mottel looked at each other and shook their heads. “The rabbi is daft. He makes no sense” said Mendel
“No sense indeed,” replied Mottel.
“Nay,” responded the rabbi, “I am letting experience speak for itself for I have walked these paths for years. Let age and wisdom be your guide. Take heed and make the right choice.”
“We will take the shorter route as usual.” Spoke Mendel.
“Yes,” added Mottel, “The short-cut is the fastest way to Kosherville.”
“Very well,” replied the rabbi sadly, “I will see you both again, and very soon, yet without the Challah loaves.”
“With the Challah!” resounded Mendel and Mottel confidently.
But the rabbi did not respond, he only turned his head and went on thinking and pondering on things that only rabbis ponder on, perhaps the Sabbath message or something of the sort.
So, Mendel and Mottel set off down the short route to Kosherville. In almost no time at all, they could see the outline of the town ahead of them. Now there was a river that separated the wooded area from Kosherville. The river was shallow and there was an old bridge that crossed over the river to the town.
(con't below)
