By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
The famed Chassidic leader, Rabbi Meir of Premishlan (1783-1850), was a poor man and had little to feed his family.
Once, a wealthy man came to his house, and, seeing the dire circumstances, tried to donate a large sum of money to the rabbi. Rabbi Meir refused, saying, “I have, thank G-d, enough livelihood. I have two kees that provide all we need.”
The rich man interpreted the rabbi’s statement to mean that they have two cows (kees in Yiddish) from whom they sell milk. The next morning, he arrived at the rabbi’s home and asked to purchase milk, hoping to pay handsomely.
The children responded, “We don’t have a cow!”
Turning to the rabbi, the man dubiously asked, “But you told me you have two cows?”
The rabbi then said that he, indeed, has two kees, but they are the two kees referenced in a verse of Psalms (33:21), “‘Kee’ voi yismach libeinu, ‘kee’ vesheim batachnu,” for our heart shall rejoice in Him, for we have put our trust in His holy name.
The rabbi told him that with these two kees, rejoicing in G-d and trusting His ways, he is guaranteed livelihood beyond any sum of money.
Find Hasidic Archives latest books on HasidicArchives.com Story Bites: Short Stories to Savor and The People’s Rabbi: The Life & Legacy of Rabbi Leib Kramer, also available on Amazon Prime.
