Story 35 of 100
--
The Consultation.
“Look, Rabbi, I have to make a decision, and it’s an important one, so please, I implore you — help me!”
“Of course, Moishe, what can I do?”
“Rabbi, my family wants me to marry this woman, a widow, she’s very rich, so I, and by extension, my family, will be very well off.”
“So, what’s the problem? Marry this widow.”
“But I’m in love with another woman.”
“All right, marry the woman you love.”
“But she doesn’t have two pennies to her name! I will have to work twice as hard as I do now to support myself and my family and her family.”
“I see. Well then, marry the rich widow.”
“But Rabbi, the widow’s not much of a looker. She’s so skinny, I think I’d be afraid to make love to her so I don’t break her. And one of her eyes isn’t always focusing on me when we’re talking, it’s wandering all over the place. Plus, there’s a mole on her chin, looks like a spider is trying to crawl out of it.”
“That’s not so good. Then marry the other woman.”
“Yes, she is lovely, but so poor. We’d have to live with either her parents or my parents for a while, and that’s no way to start a family.”
“Hmmm… I see your point. Perhaps you should choose the widow and simply close your eyes when making love?”
“But the woman I love is so pretty! And she’s much younger, too, and there’s the matter of children. I would like to have a couple of my own, and the widow already has three of her own. She’s probably too old to have children.”
“Maybe you should live with your own parents while you …”
“But my parents aren’t getting any younger, and I want to be able to take good care of them in their old age. Money shouldn’t be a problem once they’re old, they should have the best of everything. But I am so besotted with the younger woman, she’s all I think about. So, what do you think, Rabbi, do you have any advice for me? Any words of wisdom?”
“I don’t know what to tell you, honestly, I don’t know what you expect me to say.”
Moishe stood up and blew out his breath. “You know, Rabbi, you were no help at all! I don’t know why people come to you for advice, you were extremely wishy-washy and gave no guidance I could follow. I should just marry the beautiful young girl and see the rich widow on the side. Good day, Rabbi!”
