Reb Yosef and The Milk

There once lived a man whose name was Yosef. One day, Reb Yosef was walking down the street, feeling very sad.

“I have no money,” Reb Yosef thought to himself. “I need money to feed my family, and to buy clothes for them. I have to get a good job.”

Reb Yosef decided to go to the marketplace. There, he hoped, he would have an opportunity to make money.

So, Reb Yosef went to the marketplace. As Reb Yosef was walking around in the marketplace, it did not seem as if there was anyone there who might be able to help him.

Then, Reb Yosef heard someone shouting: “Who wants to buy milk? A dollar a quart! Milk for sale! So good for you, and your children too!”

“Well,” Reb Yosef thought. “Selling milk—that’s a good job. Everybody needs milk. But cows are expensive, and I don’t have enough money to buy one!”

Reb Yosef went over to the milkman and asked: “Excuse me, Mr. Milkman. Where do you get your milk from?”

“Oh, well I rent cows from the poretz,” replied the milkman. “Every day, I go the poretz’s castle, milk my cows, and sell the milk.

Then, I pay the poretz ten cents for each quart of milk that I sell.

“Sometimes the poretz is in a bad mood and wants more money, but otherwise, I pay ten cents for every quart.”

That sounded like a good job to Reb Yosef. Of course, the price of milk fluctuates. But just as the price of milk can fall, many times the price rises, too.

Reb Yosef decided to go to the castle of the poretz, and see if he would also be able to rent cows and sell their milk.

The poretz happened to be in a very bad mood that day. When Reb Yosef arrived at the castle, the guards did not want to let him at first.

When Reb Yosef told the guards that he wanted to rent some cows, they let him in. “The poretz likes money. If he finds out that we did not let this man in, he might be very upset,” they thought.

So, Reb Yosef went inside the castle and approached the poretz’s room. He knocked on the door and was let in.

He said to the poretz: “My name is Yosef. I heard that you rent cows.”

“Yes, yes! Now, how can I help you, Yosef?” asked the poretz, angrily.

“Oh, I would like to know if I can rent some cows from you,” replied Reb Yosef. “The other milkmen told me that you rent cows, and charge ten cents for each quart of milk.”

“Ten cents for a quart? You must be kidding! Those guys were lucky. I charge fifty cents per quart!” the poretz replied.

Reb Yosef really had no choice. Either he could sign the contract, or could just remain a poor man.

Reb Yosef decided to sign the contract with the poretz. After all, even if he got to keep only fifty cents for himself, that was still money!

In the contract, it said that every day, a servant would come to see how much milk Reb Yosef sold. For every quart, Reb Yosef would have to pay fifty cents, regardless of the price of milk at the time.

After Reb Yosef signed the contract, he went with one of the servants into the barn, to select his cows.

The next day, Reb Yosef woke up early, da’avened and ate, and went to the poretz’s barn to feed and milk his cows.

Reb Yosef then took his milk and brought it to the marketplace to sell. “Who wants to buy milk?” he shouted. “Who wants to buy milk?”

By the end of the day, Reb Yosef sold enough milk that he would be able to feed his family. He paid the poretz’s servant, and went home.

This went on for a few days. Everything was going well, B”H.

Then, one day, when Reb Yosef went to the marketplace to sell his milk, he found out that the price of milk fell! The price dropped to eighty cents a quart! That meant that he made only thirty cents off each quart of milk that he sold.

But, Reb Yosef just went ahead and sold the milk. At least he was making some money for his family.

The next day was not any better for Reb Yosef. The price of milk went down to seventy cents per quart! Now Reb Yosef was left with only twenty cents per quart for himself and his family.

The next day too, the price of milk dropped. The price of milk was sixty cents per quart! Reb Yosef hoped that the next day, the price would not drop again—but it did!

Now Reb Yosef did not make any money off the milk that he sold! He was in big trouble. When the poretz’s servant came for the payment, Reb Yosef had to give him all his money.

That day, Reb Yosef went home empty handed! His children were hungry, but there was nothing that he was able to do.

The next day, Reb Yosef did not make any money either! Now he was in bigger trouble than before.

Before, he was a poor man, but now, he is a poor man that is selling milk for the poretz without any pay!

Reb Yosef started da’avening and saying tehillim. He needed money for his family! Then, Reb Yosef thought of an idea.

Reb Yosef decided that he would go to the tzaddik, Reb Chaim Meyer.

Reb Yosef traveled to Reb Chaim Meyer, and was able to speak with him. He told Reb Chaim Meyer what was going on, and how he was not making any money.

Reb Chaim Meyer told him: “Reb Yosef, you have traveled a long journey to come here. Why don’t you stay here for Shabbos?” He did not say anything about Reb Yosef’s problem, and he did not give any advice. He just invited Reb Yosef to stay for Shabbos!

Although Reb Yosef did not understand why Reb Chaim Meyer wanted him to stay for Shabbos, he accepted the invitation.

On Motzo’ei Shabbos, Reb Chaim Meyer called Reb Yosef over to his study. Reb Chaim Meyer said: “Reb Yosef, on Motzo’ei Shabbos, I like to smoke my pipe.” He then took some tobacco, and put it in his pipe.

Reb Chaim Meyer said: “What I need you to do, is help me light my pipe. Next to the fireplace, are some papers that you can ignite and bring to me, so that I can light my pipe.”

So, Reb Yosef went to the fireplace, and put one of the pieces of paper in the fire. As he was walking back to Reb Chaim Meyer, the fire suddenly went out.

“How about getting a bigger paper this time?” asked Reb Chaim Meyer. Reb Yosef went back to the fireplace, ignited another paper, and brought it to Reb Chaim Meyer.

But, just as Reb Chaim Meyer was about to light his pipe, the fire went out. Reb Chaim Meyer said: “Do you see that pile of papers in the corner? Try using one of those papers.”

So, Reb Yosef got another paper, lit it, and brought it to Reb Chaim Meyer. This time Reb Chaim Meyer was able to light his pipe.

Reb Yosef was still wondering what would be when he would return home. He needed to provide for his family, and it did not seem as if Reb Chaim Meyer had a way to help him at all!

After a few minutes of silence, Reb Chaim Meyer said with a smile: “Reb Yosef, thank you for staying for Shabbos, and thank you for lighting my pipe. Don’t worry about your problem. Just go home, and Hashem will help.”

The next morning, Reb Yosef da’avened, ate, and then set out on his trip home.

When he returned to his home town, he noticed many people congregating together, as if something big had occurred. When the yidden in the town saw Reb Yosef, they ran over to him.

They said: “Reb Yosef, do you know what happened last night, motzo’ei Shabbos? There was a big fire and the poretz’s barn burned down! Some people say that lightning hit it, and started a fire.

“By the time anyone was able to put out the fire, the whole barn had burned down to the ground. Reb Yosef, don’t you have some cows there?”

“Yes,” replied Reb Yosef. “I have a few cows that I keep there.”

“Well,” someone said, “they got all burned up! How will you make a living now?”

Reb Yosef really did not know! How would he make a living, now that he didn’t have any cows?

When Reb Yosef approached his home, he saw something very strange in his yard. In his yard, were his ten cows! “How can this be?” he thought to himself. “I thought that all the cows had been burnt!”

Now Reb Yosef felt a little happier. Now that he had his cows, he would be able to sell his milk the next day.

Reb Yosef went inside, and told his family about everything that had transpired over Shabbos.

When he told his family the story of how he lit Reb Chaim Meyer’s pipe, his wife said: “Yosef, that is very interesting! Did you hear what happened with the poretz’s barn?”

“Yes! I heard about it,” Reb Yosef replied.

”Well,” continued his wife, “first came one lightning, then another, and then, by the third lightning, the poretz’s barn caught fire. It seems like that happened the same time that you were lighting your Rebbe’s pipe!”

“I have a question,” Reb Yosef said. “How are our ten cows in our yard, if the poretz’s barn burned down?”

“Oh, well, someone came to our house, and told me that he was on the hill when the barn caught fire. Right away, he ran in, and tried to save as many cows as he was able to. But, he was only able to save our cows, before the whole barn was consumed by fire! “So,” Reb Yosef’s wife concluded, “he brought the cows here, so that we could take care of them for now.”

The next morning, when Reb Yosef went to sell his milk, nobody else was selling milk but him! Now, whoever needed to buy milk, had to come to Reb Yosef. He was able to charge more money, because there was only so much milk, and everybody needed it.

In the end, everything worked out well for Reb Yosef. He had enough money for himself and his family for many years to come!