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Moshe Vs the Pope
About a century or two ago,
the Pope decided that all the Jews had
to leave Rome. Naturally there was a big uproar from the Jewish
community. So the Pope made a deal. He would have a religious debate
with a member of the Jewish community. If the Jew won, the Jews could
stay. If the Pope won, the Jews would leave. The Jews realized that
they had no choice. They looked around for a champion who could
defend their faith, but no one wanted to volunteer. It was too
risky. So they finally picked an old man named Moishe who spent his
life sweeping up after people, to represent them. Being old and poor,
he had less to lose, so he agreed. He asked only for one addition to
the debate. Not being used to saying very much, as he cleaned up
around the settlement, he asked that neither side be allowed to talk.
The pope agreed.
The day of the great debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite
each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and
showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one
finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head.
Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a
wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple.
The Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The
Jews can stay."
...
An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him
what happened. The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers
to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger
to remind me that there was still one God common to both our
religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him, that God
was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground, showing
that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the
wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an
apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything.
What could I do?"
...
Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe, amazed
that this old, almost feeble-minded man had done what all their
scholars had insisted was impossible!
"What happened?" they asked.
"Well," said Moishe, "First he said to me that the Jews had three
days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving.
Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let
him know that we were staying right here."
"And then?" asked a woman.
"I don't know," said Moishe. "He took out his lunch, and
I took out mine." |
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It was a Sabbath afternoon
and Moshe stood looking out the window of the rabbi's study. "Rabbi," he
said thoughtfully, "If one sees a cow drowning on the Sabbath, is it
permitted to save her or should one let her drown?"
The rabbi looked up from his studies, "It
is not permitted to break the Sabbath over a cow," he replied.
"That's too bad. A cow has fallen into the lake and she's going under,"
Moshe continued.
"Yes, it's too bad," the rabbi muttered this time, without looking up
from his studies.
"Her head is going under now," Moshe continued after a pause. "She's
certainly lost now. I feel sorry for the beast."
"Yes," muttered the rabbi, "it's very sad. But what can one do?
"And I feel sorry for you," Moshe said.
"Why me?" said the rabbi looking up.
"It was your cow." |
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