One Kol Nidrei night, after everyone had left the little Synagogue in his small Polish town, the peasant tarried. He recited Psalms and poured out his soul unto G-d. Then he approached the Holy Ark and cried out: “Dear G-d, if only I could have but a few more acres to till, how happy and contented I would be!”
The local duke, who owned practically all the land in the area, happened to pass the Synagogue that very evening. Noticing the light, he curiously opened the door to see what was happening in the synagogue at that late hour. He entered just as the Jew was offering his moving plea.
The duke approached the praying Jew: “Chaim, I overheard your petition and am deeply moved. Now, I am willing to make you a generous offer: The day after your fast, you are to present yourself early in the morning at the gate of my palace. At dawn you will begin to walk through my fields and orchards. All the land that you will cover until sunset will be yours. But you must return to my palace by sunset, should you fail you will get nothing.”
The Weekly Sedra – Miketz – Life is to Precious to Waste
A hard working Jewish peasant, who eked out a meager livelihood farming, loved his small parcel of land and yearned for more.
One Kol Nidrei night, after everyone had left the little Synagogue in his small Polish town, the peasant tarried. He recited Psalms and poured out his soul unto G-d. Then he approached the Holy Ark and cried out: “Dear G-d, if only I could have but a few more acres to till, how happy and contented I would be!”
The local duke, who owned practically all the land in the area, happened to pass the Synagogue that very evening. Noticing the light, he curiously opened the door to see what was happening in the synagogue at that late hour. He entered just as the Jew was offering his moving plea.
The duke approached the praying Jew: “Chaim, I overheard your petition and am deeply moved. Now, I am willing to make you a generous offer: The day after your fast, you are to present yourself early in the morning at the gate of my palace. At dawn you will begin to walk through my fields and orchards. All the land that you will cover until sunset will be yours. But you must return to my palace by sunset, should you fail you will get nothing.”
