Rabbi Uri was a righteous and devoted Hasid, and he was very poor. For an entire year, he and his wife saved every coin they could. They gave up delicious foods and went without many things they wanted, so that they could save enough money to buy a beautiful and splendid etrog for the holiday of Sukkot.
When the eve of the holiday finally arrived, Rabbi Uri had fifty gold coins in his pocket — a huge sum of money! With great joy, he set out for the big city to choose the most beautiful etrog he could find.
On the way, Rabbi Uri stopped to rest at a small roadside inn. Suddenly, he heard a heartbreaking cry coming from the courtyard. He went outside and saw a Jewish coachman sitting on the ground, weeping bitterly.
Rabbi Uri approached him and asked:
“ What happened, dear Jew?”
The coachman looked at him with eyes red from tears and said:
“My horse, which I worked with every day, suddenly died. Now I have no way to earn money, and I have nothing to feed my children for the holiday of Sukkot!”
Rabbi Uri looked at the poor coachman, and his heart broke. He thought about the magnificent etrog he had wanted so badly to buy, but then he realized: helping a fellow Jew who is in trouble is the greatest mitzvah of all.
Without hesitating, Rabbi Uri took out all the money he had saved for the etrog, gave it to the coachman, and said:
“Take this money, buy yourself a new horse, and bring joy to your family!”
The coachman jumped for joy and gave Rabbi Uri a big, heartfelt hug.
With the few coins he had left, Rabbi Uri bought a small, simple, very wrinkled etrog. He felt a little embarrassed to show it to people, so he traveled to the study hall of the great tzaddik, Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, and stood quietly in a back corner.
During the prayers, all the Hasidim were holding beautiful and expensive etrogim. Suddenly, Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk stopped, took a deep breath, and said:
“I smell a wonderful, sweet fragrance of Gan Eden — the Garden of Eden — in this study hall! This fragrance is coming from the etrog of one of our guests.”
The Hasidim began searching and searching until they found Rabbi Uri standing in the corner, hiding his wrinkled etrog. They brought him before Rabbi Elimelech.
Rabbi Elimelech looked at the etrog, smiled warmly, and said:
“Your etrog is shining with light because it was bought with true love for another Jew and with tears shed for the sake of a mitzvah. This is the most beautiful and most splendid etrog in the world!”
When the eve of the holiday finally arrived, Rabbi Uri had fifty gold coins in his pocket — a huge sum of money! With great joy, he set out for the big city to choose the most beautiful etrog he could find.
On the way, Rabbi Uri stopped to rest at a small roadside inn. Suddenly, he heard a heartbreaking cry coming from the courtyard. He went outside and saw a Jewish coachman sitting on the ground, weeping bitterly.
Rabbi Uri approached him and asked:
“ What happened, dear Jew?”
The coachman looked at him with eyes red from tears and said:
“My horse, which I worked with every day, suddenly died. Now I have no way to earn money, and I have nothing to feed my children for the holiday of Sukkot!”
Rabbi Uri looked at the poor coachman, and his heart broke. He thought about the magnificent etrog he had wanted so badly to buy, but then he realized: helping a fellow Jew who is in trouble is the greatest mitzvah of all.
Without hesitating, Rabbi Uri took out all the money he had saved for the etrog, gave it to the coachman, and said:
“Take this money, buy yourself a new horse, and bring joy to your family!”
The coachman jumped for joy and gave Rabbi Uri a big, heartfelt hug.
With the few coins he had left, Rabbi Uri bought a small, simple, very wrinkled etrog. He felt a little embarrassed to show it to people, so he traveled to the study hall of the great tzaddik, Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, and stood quietly in a back corner.
During the prayers, all the Hasidim were holding beautiful and expensive etrogim. Suddenly, Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk stopped, took a deep breath, and said:
“I smell a wonderful, sweet fragrance of Gan Eden — the Garden of Eden — in this study hall! This fragrance is coming from the etrog of one of our guests.”
The Hasidim began searching and searching until they found Rabbi Uri standing in the corner, hiding his wrinkled etrog. They brought him before Rabbi Elimelech.
Rabbi Elimelech looked at the etrog, smiled warmly, and said:
“Your etrog is shining with light because it was bought with true love for another Jew and with tears shed for the sake of a mitzvah. This is the most beautiful and most splendid etrog in the world!”