Rabbi Akiva Eiger once invited a poor man to his home on Friday evening for Shabbat dinner. At the meal, a beautiful white tablecloth covered the table. When the poor man lifted his glass of wine, it slipped out of his hand and the red liquid spread across the pure white cloth leaving an ugly stain.
Seeing the discomfort of the poor man, Rabbi Akiva Eiger immediately lifted his own glass of wine and “accidentally” spilled it over the tablecloth. As the poor man looked on with great relief, Rabbi Eiger remarked, “it seems to me as if the table or floor is shaking, doesn’t it?”
- related by Mordecai Katz
How damaging this situation could have been!
How difficult is it to protect the honor of another?
Comments