Chassidim in Lubavitch would customarily wear long jackets. One chassid, however, wore a short jacket when he was in Moscow on business, and changed into a long jacket when he returned home to Lubavitch.

Once, before entering into a private audience with the Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, the chassid deliberated: ‘Why should I wear my long jacket for my private audience with the Rebbe? The Rebbe knows who I am. Why try to fool him? I will be myself!’

Thus, the chassid entered the Rebbe’s study wearing a short jacket.

“Why are you wearing a short jacket?” the Rebbe asked.

The chassid was shocked. He explained honestly, “Rebbe, I did not want to fool you!”

“Fool me?” the Rebbe asked. “Until now I thought you were a chassid trying to fool the business world. Now I see you are a businessman trying to fool the chassidim.”

—Heard from Rabbi Shloima Zarchi

Comment:

Sooner or later a man who wears two masks forgets which one is real.

“Rather than ‘Fake it till you make it’, you should ‘Be real till you feel real.’”

—Chana Burston