Giving

Sitting in a Russian bar indulging in drinks, a group of friends enjoyed one another’s company. They expressed their sincere love for the Czar and his domain.

Feeling overwhelmed with loyalty toward the Czar, one of the men proclaimed, “If I possessed a magnificent palace, I would dedicate it to the Czar!”

“Really?” his friends asked, looking impressed. “And what if you owned a fancy wagon with a herd of horses attached to it?”

“Yes, yes, for sure!” he answered.

“And if you owned a farm of animals?” they persisted.

“Yes again! For the Czar, his Majesty, I would give anything,” the man declared confidently.

The other men doubted their friend, and assumed that the alcohol was taking its toll on his sanity. They challenged him further. “If you owned two chickens, would you give them to the Czar?”

The man became serious and quietly admitted, “No.”

Perceiving the expressions of amazement on his friends’ faces, the man honestly explained, “These are things I actually own.”

—Heard from Rabbi Asher Herson