Yankel finds a Shidduch!
From old blog..
Sometimes a joke can be so on the mark and such a reflection of truth that it straddles the fence between joke and parable.
There was once a older bochur in Vilna, we’ll call him Yankel. Like most Yeshiva bochurim 100 years ago he had a very hard time with a Shidduch. No girl wanted to marry a boy sitting and learning, so most boys in yeshiva ended up single into their 30s.
Back to Yankel...
He was sitting and learning in Shul by himself one morning when the door creaks open and in shuffles the local Shadchan Beryk. Beryk sits down next to Yantchie and with a glint in his eye, bellows out the often heard and caricatured line...”Yankel, have I got a shidduch for you.”
Yankel wearily turns to Beryk and fully expecting to hear of another blind, elderly or intern prospect mutters ..”nu..”
Beryk pauses for dramatic effect and replies “Anastasia, the Czars daughter”.
Yankel grabs Beryks lapel an shouts timidly, “have you come here to torment me?”
“Leave me alone..please. I’m really not in the joking mood..”
Beryk turns to him in all seriousness and sounding a bit hurt says “I’m not joking Yankel”.
“I’ve been thinking about this for awhile and it’s perfect.”
“But she’s not even Jewish”, an exasperated Yankel spit out.
“Ahhh I know..but I know through back channels that she has a strong affinity to Judaism and she would be willing to convert.”
“And....”,he quickly added anticipating Yankels next question, “she is a champion of the poor and oppressed I think she’ll be able to relate to you perfectly, as a matter of fact I think she’ll be very attracted to you.”
Yankels face soften a bit, “I don’t know, it just sounds so crazy..”
Beryk moves in closer “I’ve never felt this strongly about a shidduch before..just imagine how happy you’ll be. Her teachers, her tutors, all that know her are crazy about her”.
Yankels face registered a flicker of excitement as he asked..”so nu...what are we waiting for?”
Beryk leaned back, stared ahead and whispered, “we just have to get the Czar to agree..”
I love this little tale.
I few weeks ago I was about to conclude a huge deal. In my mind it was perfect, I knew exactly what I was going to do with the money...and was on cloud 9. I had it all figured out. Well, except one thing, I didn’t get the “Czar” to agree.
How often do we feel like that? In reality we’re like poor Yankel, who is so not in control of his shidduch that’s it’s a joke.
I find that to be a humbling and comforting thought.
.
Sometimes a joke can be so on the mark and such a reflection of truth that it straddles the fence between joke and parable.
There was once a older bochur in Vilna, we’ll call him Yankel. Like most Yeshiva bochurim 100 years ago he had a very hard time with a Shidduch. No girl wanted to marry a boy sitting and learning, so most boys in yeshiva ended up single into their 30s.
Back to Yankel...
He was sitting and learning in Shul by himself one morning when the door creaks open and in shuffles the local Shadchan Beryk. Beryk sits down next to Yantchie and with a glint in his eye, bellows out the often heard and caricatured line...”Yankel, have I got a shidduch for you.”
Yankel wearily turns to Beryk and fully expecting to hear of another blind, elderly or intern prospect mutters ..”nu..”
Beryk pauses for dramatic effect and replies “Anastasia, the Czars daughter”.
Yankel grabs Beryks lapel an shouts timidly, “have you come here to torment me?”
“Leave me alone..please. I’m really not in the joking mood..”
Beryk turns to him in all seriousness and sounding a bit hurt says “I’m not joking Yankel”.
“I’ve been thinking about this for awhile and it’s perfect.”
“But she’s not even Jewish”, an exasperated Yankel spit out.
“Ahhh I know..but I know through back channels that she has a strong affinity to Judaism and she would be willing to convert.”
“And....”,he quickly added anticipating Yankels next question, “she is a champion of the poor and oppressed I think she’ll be able to relate to you perfectly, as a matter of fact I think she’ll be very attracted to you.”
Yankels face soften a bit, “I don’t know, it just sounds so crazy..”
Beryk moves in closer “I’ve never felt this strongly about a shidduch before..just imagine how happy you’ll be. Her teachers, her tutors, all that know her are crazy about her”.
Yankels face registered a flicker of excitement as he asked..”so nu...what are we waiting for?”
Beryk leaned back, stared ahead and whispered, “we just have to get the Czar to agree..”
I love this little tale.
I few weeks ago I was about to conclude a huge deal. In my mind it was perfect, I knew exactly what I was going to do with the money...and was on cloud 9. I had it all figured out. Well, except one thing, I didn’t get the “Czar” to agree.
How often do we feel like that? In reality we’re like poor Yankel, who is so not in control of his shidduch that’s it’s a joke.
I find that to be a humbling and comforting thought.
.
Labels: B
posted by David_on_the_Lake at 11:43 AM
1 Comments:
Good point.
It is comforting--cuz we know it's not up to us whether things work out or not. All we have to do is do what little we can and leave the rest up to the Big Boss. I especially find it comforting in the shidduch world. I keep thinking...if we were to have to decide on our own who and when and whether we're ready or not, we'd all be in sorry shape. It's such a comfort for me knowing that when it's best for me, He'll make things happen...
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