A Soulful Journey

Things were getting progressively worse in Chelm.  There was high unemployment and a lack of food. The elders of Chelm decided to meet to solve their dilemma.  The best hope for them was to sell beer.  After a while they produced their first batch and sent it to Prague with the following letter: O worthy brewmeisters: Seeking to alleviate our plight, we have produced beer.  But we are unknown.  If such a famous brewer as you praised our drink, it would be a great help. The Elders of Chelm One week later came the reply from Prague: "Your horse has diabetes."

The wise men of Chelm declared a state of emergency.  Unemployment was rampant.  Inflation was out of control.  Whole families went hungry for days at a time. After discussing the plight of the township the elders decided to create a communal enterprise employing everyone who did not hold a job.  They agreed that the best alternative was a brewery. Speedily they studied the art of beer making and created their first draft.  But they realized a new beer without an acknowledged sponsor would go unnoticed. So the novice brewmasters sent a sample to Prague.   "Our esteemed brewers of Morovia:  Your humble servants have decided to produce a beer hardly worth your valuable time. But as we realize recommendation such as yours would help us distribute our new product we hope you will grace us with your kind opinion. With the help of God and our wishes for health-- Your humble servants, The elders of Chelm." One week later the following reply came back: "Dear f...

 In the town of Chelm there lived a genuine desire to see the Messiah arrive soon.  So great was the desire that they gave no great thought to their future.*  So when finally the shamash of the synagogue asked for an old age pension, they fired him immediately. *In the Messiah's time all things will be provided. Faith, trust while living in the present are all necessary ingredients to a healthy life.

Two Chemlite “scholars” were engaged in a profound discussion: How does one grow?   From the feet up?    Or the head down? Said the first: “From feet up, of course.   Last year I bought my son a new suit for his Bar Mitzvah and at that time the pants were just the right length.   Now, the pants only reach up to his ankles. That proves that people grow from the feet up.” “Fool,” snapped the second “scholar.”   “It’s obvious that people grow from their heads down.   If you see a group of soldiers marching, all their feet are on the same level.   But if you look at their heads, you will see that they are at different heights.   This   proves that people grow the head down.” Do you ever feel like you are in a discussion where the arguments are like this?  It is important to recognize when our conversion deteriorates into inanities.

One day, somebody asked an inhabitant of Chelm:  “Where are you running to so fast?”  “To the train station. My father is coming tomorrow morning, I have to pick him up at the station”.  “But if he is only arriving tomorrow, why are you going to the station today?” asked the other inhabitant, astonished. “ Because tomorrow it is the first day of the fair and I know I will be busy all day”. There are times in our lives when we feel time is out of control.   There are no spare moments for anything.   Yet, the truth is, there is always time for what is most important.

The wise men of Chelm decided that they needed a new edition of the Haggadda, one which reflected their own personality.   So, when they came to the 4 sons – the wise, simple, wicked and too ignorant to ask – they said, “As the wise one is obviously a ‘Chelmite’ let us change the wording to “One Chelmite, one wicked, one simple, and one too ignorant to ask.   After all, everyone knows that Chelmites are wise.” They agreed and after many years passed a new motion arose to change the wording to read, “Wise from Chelm.”   But, others disagreed, why would they do that when everyone knows wise=Chemlite? After much arguing they agreed to leave the Haggadda as it was, “one wise,” with a footnote at the bottom that indicated that “Wise” means “from Chelm.”