INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

Costly Candy

During WWI Israel was still under Turkish rule. Most of the country was poor and undeveloped, and those who lived there were in serious financial straits, especially since their support from Europe was completely cut off. Hunger was so rampant that hundreds actually died of starvation in Jerusalem; many people had no steady income and many more were unemployed altogether. It was the era of the yishuv, the settling of Israel by thousands of idealistic immigrants and the poverty was heart-wrenching.

Yet, as in every society, there were always some individuals who with great business acumen were able to raise themselves above the prevailing economic level and accumulate considerable wealth. One such family was the Friedmans.

One afternoon, seven-year-old Naftali Friedman asked his father for some candy. Mr. Friedman told him to take a coin from the desk and buy some from the local grocer.
A few hours later, when Mr. Friedman went to his desk, he saw that a golden napoleon coin was missing. About the size of an American half-dollar, a golden napoleon was worth enough to sustain a family for six months. He quickly summoned Naftali, and demanded to know which coin he had taken. After questioning the child it became obvious that he had mistakenly taken the wrong coin. Instead of taking a metal coin worth just a few pennies, he had taken the napoleon.

“But didn’t the grocer say anything to you?”
shouted Mr. Friedman losing his self control. “No, Father”
answered the frightened Naftali.
“I gave him the coin and he gave me the candies. He didn’t ask me anything.”

Now beside himself with rage, Mr. Friedman rushed down to the grocer and demanded that he return the napoleon. “Your honor,”
insisted the grocer,
“your son gave me a chirale (a coin of minuscule value), nothing more.”
An argument erupted and it was decided to present the situation to the rabbinical court of R’ Shmuel Salant, chief Rav of Jerusalem.

As Mr. Friedman and the grocer presented their sides of the story it became obvious to the Rabbanim, that each man would continue insisting on his version of the facts. After listening attentively to both people, one of the Rabbanim called Mr. Friedman to the side and said,
“Torah law stipulates that in such a situation, the grocer has the prerogative of swearing that he does not owe you any money. If he does indeed swear, he is free from any financial obligation to you. But, Mr. Friedman, you know that when one swears, he must swear by the name of G-d, and to swear falsely and profane the name of G-d is a terrible sin. Times are bad, people are in economic trouble. I beg you, don’t make him swear for he could swear falsely. Please forgo the money!”

Reluctantly Mr. Friedman agreed to drop the matter. However, things went badly for the grocer. Deep in their hearts, people felt the grocer had taken advantage of an innocent, unsuspecting child. They held him in contempt, and he lost many customers. Three years later, after the war was over, Mr. Friedman received the following unsigned letter.

Dear Mr. Friedman: Three years have passed since that terrible day when your son went to get candy from the grocery. It was an unhappy day in many ways, for you, your son, the grocer, and me.
I was a desperate and despondent man. I had no job, my children were starving and I saw no future for myself. As I walked the streets engrossed in my misery, I noticed your Naftali playing with his friends. He was casually tossing about the coin you had given him for candy and I could not help but notice that it was a shiny gold napoleon. I thought to myself,
“Here I am slowly starving to death and this mere child has the audacity to play with a coin that could support my family for months!”

I joined the playing children and began chatting with them. One thing led to another and as the children were playing with their coins I exchanged my chirale for Naftali’s napoleon. Being a child he had no idea what had happened and when he went to the grocer, he did indeed give him the coin that he had with him, the chirale. I beg your forgiveness for having caused you so much grief. I hereby return the value of the coin that I took from your son. Please forgive me. I was not rational that day because of my pain and cruel circumstances of my life,

Yours truly,

Indeed when Mr. Friedman discovered the truth he tried his best to let people know of the grocer’s integrity, but unfortunately the grocer had paid a dear price for three long years, al because people rushed to accuse him and did not judge him favorably.

* * * Whenever R’ Sholom cites his story he asks his audience, “Which of the characters in this story is deserving of punishment in the hereafter?
Certainly not the grocer or Naftali-they were but innocent victims. Nor would Mr. Friedman be punished, for he followed the advice of the rabbinical court. And the thief! Why he already suffered three agonizing years, and he made full retribution for what he stole! Surely the Heavenly Tribunal will not punish a true penitent!
“The answer is that the only ones who will be punished, will be the people who spoke and believed the slander, and caused the grocer untold misery when they stopped buying from him.”

From: “The Maggid Speaks” By: Rabbi Pesach Krohn “favorite stories and parables of Rabbi Shwardron, Maggid of Jerusalem.