Theory and Practice

This is a story from Rabbi Steinsaltz's commentary on the 26th Chapter of the Tanya.  I love it because it feels very honest.

Rabbi Berush Meilitz was a great scholar and devout person, who later became the chief rabbi of Krakow and Warsaw.  He was both a Rosh Yeshiva and highly successful lumber merchant.  He would transport lumber on rafts on the Vistula River from forests to the sea.  When the river traffic was orderly, such lumber merchants would make huge profits, but from time to time due to bad weather or other circumstances, the rafts would sink and such merchants would lose all of their wealth.

One time, the news came to Rabbi Meilitz's yeshiva that his rafts had all sunk.  Instantly, this man who had been wealthy all his life was transformed into an impoverished debtor.  The Rabbi's relatives worried and did not know how to break the news.  Finally, the relatives asked one of the Rabbi's students to find a way to tell Rabbi Meilitz.

The student approached Rabbi Meilitz with a Talmud and said, "Rabbi, I there is a section of the Talmud that I don't understand."  The student pointed to a section of the Talmud which says that we must bless G-d for bad news in the same spirit as we bless G-d for good news.  Rabbi Meilitz explained the issue, but the student continued to say, "Rabbi, I don't understand the Talmud  How can one receive bad news joyfully?"  The Rabbi explained both the plain and hidden meanings of this part of the Talmud.  The student said, "Rabbi, I still don't understand the Talmud.  If I were to tell you that all of your rafts were sunk, would you dance in joy?"  The Rabbi replied, "Yes, absolutely!"  The student said, "In that case, you should dance, for in truth your rafts have all really sunk!"

When he heard the news, Rabbi Meilitz fainted.  Upon awakening, he said, "Now I too don't understand the Talmud!"