A Soulful Journey

“Kissinger, it seems, obtained a length of top quality tweed cloth that he wishes to make into a suit.   Tailors in Washington and New York, after measuring him, said that there was insufficient material for trousers and a jacket that would fit him. In London, France and Germany, went on diplomatic missions the same morning repeated by the best tailors in these countries. Then he came to Jerusalem and was told by a Jewish tailor to leave the material and return in 10 days.  When Kissinger came back he was astonished to find not only a suit that fit him perfectly but a vest, an additional jacket and two extra pairs of trousers all made from the same length of material. ”How was it possible in New York, Washington, London Paris, and Germany I was told that there was not enough material for even one suit? And here in Israel you were able to make so much??” ”Because here in Israel,” said the Jewish tailor, “you are not such a big man.”  - Joseph Heller...

A rabbi needed a new suit and went to a tailor in the village to have one made.  The tailor promised it would be ready within one week but when the learned man returned to pick it up, it was not finished.  "Three more days," he was promised. Somewhat perturbed, but with no other choice, the rabbi left the shop and came back again at the newly arranged time.  Now the suit was indeed ready and it fit perfectly- with not so much as a single stitch out of place.  Impressed by the work but still annoyed about the delays, the rabbi scolded, "It should have been done within the week." "But rabbi," the tailor pleaded, "the suit that I created was flawless. Indeed God may have finished the world within in a week, but just look at the state it's in." It is interesting that we say " Ha-motise lechem mi ha-aretz " over bread when God did not make the bread; He made the wheat but humans made the bread.  This teaches that we are in a partnersh...