The Bucket

[Ari Kotowitz]

Shavua Tov and gut chodesh adar!

from chabad.org:

The holy Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk and Rabbi Zushe of Anipoli spent
much time wandering through Poland, dressed as beggars. One evening
they arrived in a small town where the “head beggar” was very worried
that they might cut in on his “territory.” He trumped up a charge
against them to the local authorities, who promptly arrested the two
brothers and threw them into the local jail. Rabbi Elimelech and Rabbi
Zusha found themselves in a large cell, surrounded by the dregs of
society, with a big bucket in the center for human waste.
In the morning Rabbi Elimelech started crying bitterly.
“Brother, why do you cry?” asked Rabbi Zushe.
“How can I not cry? It is time to pray morning services, and yet we
cannot, because there is human waste in this room!”
Rabbi Zushe cheerfully responded, “The same G d who commanded us to
pray also commanded us not to pray under these circumstances. On other
days we fulfill His will by praying; today we will fulfill His will by
not praying.”
He took Rabbi Elimelech by the arm and they began to dance around the
bucket, rejoicing that here too they could fulfill the will of G d.
Their joy was so infectious that soon all the inmates were dancing and
singing with the two holy men.
Hearing all the commotion, the prison warden came running in. He
grabbed one of the criminals and barked “What’s going on? Why is
everyone singing and dancing?!”
“I dunno. These two Zhids,” he pointed at the brothers, “started it. I
think they’re happy about the bucket.”
“We’ll see about that!” The warden took the bucket and stormed out.
And Rabbi Elimelech and Rabbi Zusha continued dancing with even
greater intensity—because now they could serve G d in prayer.