Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

The Holy Miser – a story of Tzedakah (righteousness, charity)
Adapted from the story of the same name by Rabbi Edward Feinstein, in Capturing the Moon: Classic and
Modern Jewish Tales, Behrman House, 2008. © Behrman House.,
Inc., reprinted with permission www.behrmanhouse.com
They called him Reb Moishe the Miser. Reb Moishe
the Miser was the richest man in the town. But he was
also the meanest. When a beggar approached him and
asked for a few pennies for food, Reb Moishe just
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grumbled and turned away. He turned away when the schoolmaster asked him to help the
poor children of the town. When the leaders of the synagogue asked him for money to
repair the shul’s leaking roof, Reb Moishe simply shook his head. He even refused when
the rabbi himself asked him to support the town’s poor. Reb Moishe turned away from
everyone who asked him to give tzedakah. He turned away from everyone’s pleas for
help. He turned away from doing anything for anyone.
So when Reb Moishe died – on a Monday – and the town was called to attend his funeral,
everyone turned away.
Only the rabbi and the undertaker went to bury Reb Moishe. The undertaker prepared the
grave. The rabbi said a few words of prayer. And together they buried Reb Moishe. No
one cried for him. When the rabbi and the undertaker
finished burying Reb Moishe, they, too, turned away.
That’s when the strange things started happening. When the
rabbi returned to his home, he found a poor man waiting for
him.
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“Rabbi, ten years ago, my wife got sick and I left my job to stay at home and care for her.
When my savings ran out, I went to Reb Moishe the Miser to ask for help. He just
groaned and turned away. But after that, every Monday morning I found a small bag
filled with coins on my doorstep – enough money to pay for food and medicine. Every
Monday morning for the past ten years – until this morning. This morning – no bag and
no coins. Rabbi, I wonder if you could help me.”
The rabbi listened to the story. Then he opened his purse and gave the man the coins he
needed. The next day the schoolmaster came to see the rabbi.
“Rabbi, for the past twelve years, every Tuesday morning when I arrived at the school
house, there would be a bag waiting for me. Every bag contained a surprise. Sometimes
it contained a coat for a child whose family was too poor to afford a new coat for the
winter. Sometimes there was a new book for a child who loved to read. Sometimes there
was a treat for every student. Rabbi, I don’t know who left that bag every Tuesday, but
somehow that person knew exactly what I needed every week, and that’s what he left.
But this morning – no bag and no surprise.
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
USCJ Department of Education
Maxine Handelman
Handelman@uscj.org
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